BACKGROUND: Mat   is a tealike beverage consumed habitually in South America and among South Americans throughout the world. It is brewed from the dried leaves and stemlets of the perennial tree Ilex paraguariensis (yerba mat  ), a species that belongs to the Aquifoliaceae family. Mat   consumption has been associated with an increased rate of oral, oropharyngeal, esophageal, and @entity5 . The purpose of this study is to review the literature and discuss the role of Mat   consumption as a risk factor for @entity135 . MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a thorough review of the relevant literature linking mat   consumption with @entity135 and the proposed carcinogenicity of mat  . Case control studies on mat  -drinking populations and in vivo and in vitro studies on the carcinogenicity of mat   were reviewed. The populations included in many of these studies also used @entity167 and @entity286 products, confounding the influence of mat   as an independent risk factor. RESULTS: Evidence in the literature suggests that mat   consumption is carcinogenic and plays a role in the development of @entity5 of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. CONCLUSIONS: The exact mechanism of carcinogenesis of mat   is unknown. Both chemical and thermal carcinogenesis mechanisms have been suggested. Available information suggests that mat   drinking is a risk factor for upper aerodigestive tract @entity5 .

The beverage mat  : a risk factor for XXXX .

@entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancers', 'cancer', 'laryngeal cancers'] @entity135 :: ('MESH:D006258', 'Disease') :: ['head and neck cancer', 'head and neck cancers'] @entity167 :: ('CHEBI:16236', 'Chemical') :: ['alcohol'] @entity286 :: ('4097', 'Species') :: ['tobacco']
@entity135 :: (MESH:D006258,Disease) :: ['cancer of the head and neck']
