Courtesy of a friend who is both a medical doctor, and an enthusiastic wine consumer ..
"An IARC Monographs Working Group of 26 scientific experts from 15 countries has re-evaluated the potential carcinogenic hazards to humans from consumption of alcoholic beverages and has stated from this that breast and colorectal cancers are associated with alcohol consumption. A separate evaluation was made for ethyl carbamate (urethane), a frequent contaminant of fermented foods and beverages. The Working Group concluded that there is sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity of ethyl carbamate and its metabolites vinyl carbamate and vinyl carbamate epoxide in experimental animals. In making this evaluation, published March 28, 2007, the Working Group noted that (i) experimental evidence suggests great similarities in the metabolic pathways of the activation of ethyl carbamate in rodents and humans; and (ii) the formation of proximate carcinogens that are DNA-reactive and are thought to play a major role in ethyl carbamate-induced carcinogenesis in rodents probably also occurs in human cells. This IARC evaluation goes on to say that ethyl carbamate is genotoxic, mutagenic and clastogenic, especially in the presence of metabolic activation."
Excerpted from a press release from First Venture Technologies Corp
http://www.firstventuretechnologies.com/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=1799......