The treatment of alcohol addiction includes a combination of pharmacological and psychotherapeutical treatment. During detoxification, different pharmacological treatment options exist, particularly the use of benzodiazepines (symptome-triggered or fixed-dose regimes) or clomethiazole, which is mainly used in central Europe. Besides these well-established therapies, studies have shown evidence for the application of anticonvulsants like carbamazepine or topiramate, between others. The presentation will give an overview of the current knowledge about pharmacological treatment options for managing alcohol withdrawal. In this context, results from studies on biomarkers will be presented, which can be used for an individualized treatment regime. Several pharmacological options exist for relapse prevention in abstinent alcohol-dependent patients, some well established like disulfiram, acamprosate or naltrexone. Effectiveness and limits of these medications will be discussed, taking into account new studies on already existing compounds like baclofen or topiramate or new developments like nalmefene. Regarding psychotherapeutical treatment of alcohol dependence, several therapeutical approaches have shown effectiveness. This applies for motivational enhancement therapy (MET), cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), group therapy, family therapy and psychodynamic therapy/interpersonal therapy (IT). In most centers in Germany, a combination of MET and CBT is used to motivate patients and to prevent relapse. New therapeutical approaches like metacognitive therapy for alcohol addiction will be presented and discussed. # S19.2 THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES TO EXTRAHEPATIC ALCOHOL-ASSOCIATED DISEASES {#article-title-2} The noxious effect of alcohol is not limited to the liver, being systemic. EtOH-related organ damage should be assessed according to: (i) degree of EtOH consumption, (ii) personal and gender risk, (iii) organ susceptibility factors and (iv) clinical suspicion. All active diseases that coexist with liver damage should be treated. (1) Neurological damage is related to direct EtOH effect, thiamine deficiency and malnutrition. Epilepsy improves with EtOH cessation. EtOH abstinence and dellirium requires prevention and early treatment. (2) EtOH cardiovascular damage may induce a diversity of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Heart failure and HTA are dose-dependent and should be managed with diuretic and RAA inhibitors. Anti-thrombotic treatment should be established considering risk–benefit balance. Haemorrhagic risk is increased and should be prevented in gastrointestinal, traumatic and neurological damage, with specific suspicion for subdural post-traumatic and hypertensive haematomas. (3) Malnutrition is related to poor diet, malabsorption, metabolic protein and carbohydrate disturbances, interfering with immunity and increasing systemic organ damage. It should be corrected with dietary or parenteral supply. Chronic pancreatitis may cause malabsorption. Vitamin, mineral deficiencies and excess are frequently seen, requiring early correction. (4) Tissue oxidative damage may be corrected with antioxidant therapy. (5) Skeletal myopathy and osteopenia should be treated with protein supply, calcium, D Vitamin and physiotherapy. (6) Particular infections in alcoholism (pneumonia, soft-tissue and sepsis) make to consider the major frequency of Gram-negative bacilli, anaerobes, mycobacteria, fungi and Listeria. (7) Management of alcoholic patient at ICU requires specific considerations concerning to septic shock, drug, anaesthesia and peri-operative management. (8) Pharmacological interaction between EtOH and drugs, with CYP2E1 induction should be considered. (9) EtOH may interfere and increase other pathogenic agents such as HCV, tobacco and cocaine. (10) Consider increased cancer risk in alcoholism. In summary, systemic treatment in alcoholism needs a multidisciplinary approach to consider all causes of tissue damage and the diverse therapeutic response, with specific individual assessment. # S19.5 ALCOHOL AND CARCINOGENESIS {#article-title-3} Following ingestion, ethanol (EtOH) exerts direct and indirect effects on hepatic physiology. Many deleterious consequences of ethanol relate to intrahepatic metabolism and changes in hepatic REDOX status. Previous studies report different hepatic responses to chronic EtOH intake between males and females. The aims of the current studies were to determine effects of EtOH on hepatic tumor progression in male (m) and female (f) mice. Neonatal (m) and (f) B6C3 mice were initiated with single dose diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 1 mg/kg, i.p., 23 days old). Mice were weaned onto, and maintained on, an EtOH–drinking water regime (10/20% ( v/v ); alternate days) beginning at 16 or 40 weeks for 8 weeks. At 24 and 48 weeks, animals were sacrificed and blood-tissue harvested. Significantly more (m) DEN mice developed altered hepatic foci (foci) vs . (f) mice in pair-matched groups at 24 and 48 weeks in the absence of significant differences in BAC (range; 10.43 ± 3.96 to14.13 ± 3.46 mM). Foci area were significantly greater in pair-matched DEN initiated (m) vs . (f) mice, and (m) DEN + EtOH (0.320 ±.033mm2) vs. (m) DEN (0.142 ± 0.042 mm2) at 24 weeks and (0.481 ± 0.029 mm2 (DEN) vs 0.268 ± 0.061 mm2 (DEN + EtOH) at 48 weeks. Measures of hepatic injury were assessed by scoring sections for steatosis, necrosis, inflammation and sirius red staining. Significantly increased liver pathology was identified in (m) vs . (f) DEN + EtOH mice at 24 and 48 weeks. Induction of CYP2E1 was significantly greater in (m) mice maintained on EtOH drinking water compared with (f), as were measurements of malondialdehyde (MDA; indicator of lipid peroxidation). Conversely, glutathione (GSH) was significantly higher in (f) vs . (m) mice in response to EtOH ± DEN initiation. Immunohistochemistry for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) identified a 121% increase in staining in (m) DEN + EtOH vs . a 16.9% decrease in (f) DEN + EtOH at 24 weeks and a 79.3% increase in (m) and 14.5% decrease in (f) mice at 48 weeks. Western blot identified corresponding, significant increases in cyclin D1 in (m) vs. (f) DEN + EtOH mice. Finally, inclusion of silibinin, a dietary antioxidant derived from the milk thistle plant, failed to significantly alter hepatic pathology or tumor progression in females. Conversely, dietary silibinin acted to further enhance EtOH-dependent increases in hepatocarcinogenesis in males. These data demonstrate chronic EtOH consumption in the setting of underlying hepatocyte transformation significantly enhances tumorigenesis in (m), but not in (f) mice. Additionally, (f) mice maintain higher GSH levels and appear to more effectively manage EtOH-associated REDOX changes, data further supported by inclusion of a natural, plant-derived dietary antioxidant.