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Most of us are aware of the risks related to drinking alcohol, such as hangovers, alcohol poisoning, and impaired driving. But did you know that drinking alcohol can also increase your risk of cancer? If you didn’t know, you’re not alone. 4 out of 5 Americans don’t know that drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer.
Read on to learn more about the connection between drinking alcohol and cancer, and how you can protect your loved ones from alcohol-related health risks.
Drinking alcohol increases cancer risk
There is significant research showing that drinking alcohol can cause certain kinds of cancer. The World Health Organization found that 750,000, or 4%, of cancers diagnosed worldwide in 2020 were alcohol-related.
Alcohol-related cancers include:
- Head and neck cancer
- Mouth and throat cancer
- Liver cancer
- Esophageal (connecting the throat with the stomach) cancer
- Breast cancer
- Colon and rectal cancer
The more alcohol one drinks, the more at risk they are for developing these kinds of cancer. While drinking heavily causes the most risk, even just one drink per day can increase the risk of cancer.
Surgeon General calls for cancer warnings on alcohol
Surgeon General Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk. It outlines the direct link between drinking alcohol and increased cancer risk. The advisory includes a several recommendations to increase awareness with the goal of reducing alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths, including:
- Adding cancer risks to the warning label on alcohol bottles and cans as well as signage
- Taking another look at the guideline limits for drinks per day to account for cancer risk
- Raising public awareness of the relationship between alcohol and cancer risk when considering whether or how much to drink
- Educating patients in healthcare settings about this link, and promoting the use of alcohol screening and treatment referrals as needed
Only Congress can require new warning labels, which will likely face strong resistance.
Why does alcohol increase cancer risk?
There are a few reasons why alcohol can increase cancer risk:
- Alcohol is broken down by the body into a chemical called acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde which can cause cell damage to increase, and this can, in turn, lead to cancer.
- Alcohol can also interfere with our hormones. For example, it may increase the levels of estrogen in the body, which is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
- Additionally, cancer has the potential to interfere with the body’s ability to absorb essential cancer-preventing nutrients, such as folate. Low folate levels are associated with a higher risk of developing some cancers.
How can I reduce alcohol-related cancer risk?
Prevention is key to helping your teen or young adult reduce their risk of developing alcohol-related cancers. Inform them of these health risks, and make sure you do it early. If they do not already drink, let them know the risks of drinking and encourage them not to start drinking for any reason. Ensure that your loved one’s health care providers are regularly performing alcohol screenings.
While it is best not to drink at all, if you or a loved one of legal drinking age chooses to drink, it is important to do so in moderation. This means two drinks or less in a day for those assigned male at birth and one drink or less for those assigned female.
From a public health standpoint, it is important to make people more aware of the link between alcohol use and cancer risk. There is a movement to add warning labels about alcohol and cancer-related risks to alcohol packaging, just like there are on cigarette packages. In fact, according to a by the University of Virginia, 65% of those surveyed were in favor of this. Strategies to reduce alcohol consumption also include raising alcohol taxes and regulating the availability of places to purchase alcohol.
However, until these steps happen, you will likely be your loved one’s best bet for understanding this concern.