Here’s what types of cancer are linked to alcohol and how much alcohol consumption increases your risk
Most people don’t know that alcohol is known to cause cancer, but this has been common knowledge among doctors and cancer researchers for years. Today the Surgeon General released one report with statistics and recommendations for reducing the risk of cancer through alcohol consumption. Here’s what you need to know:
Yes, alcohol is generally considered a cause of cancer
It’s rare for scientists to directly say that something “causes” cancer (as opposed to, for example, “increases the risk of cancer”), but in the case of alcohol, it’s hard to shy away from it. Words like “cause” and “causal” appear 49 times a year new report.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer same group which described aspartame as “possibly” carcinogenic (Group 2B) and red meat as “probably” carcinogenic (Group 2A), classified alcoholic beverages in group 1the pure carcinogens, alongside cigarettes and ionizing radiation. They say: “The connection between alcohol consumption and cancer risk has been known since the beginning of the 20th century.”
The National Cancer Institute Fact sheet on alcohol states: “There is a strong scientific consensus that alcohol consumption can cause various types of cancer.” They note that the metabolic byproducts of alcohol are themselves carcinogenic, that alcohol increases oxidation, that alcohol can increase estrogen levels in the blood, which is associated with breast cancer and that alcohol impairs our ability to absorb vitamins and nutrients that protect against cancer.
The full picture of Exactly How alcohol causes each type of cancer is not fully understood, but the connection is clear enough that the Surgeon General estimates that there are 100,000 cases of alcohol-related cancers in the United States each year, including 20,000 deaths. That’s more than the 13,500 alcohol-related traffic deaths per year.
Seven types of cancer are linked to alcohol
Seven types of cancer are generally believed to be linked to alcohol:
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Breast
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Colored
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esophagus
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liver
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mouth
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throat
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Larynx (Voice Box)
When it comes to breast cancer, it is estimated that over 16% of breast cancers are caused by alcohol consumption. For all of these cancers, the risk increases with the amount you drink regularly.
How much alcohol increases the risk of cancer?
There is no threshold for risk, no concrete number from which one can say: “If I drink less, everything will be fine.” That is, this summary The University of Florida evidence highlights the following:
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Light drinking (usually defined as one drink per day or slightly more) increases the risk of esophageal cancer by 160% and breast cancer by 104%.
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Moderate drinking (usually defined as about two drinks per day) increases the risk of oral cancer by 180%, throat cancer by 140%, colon cancer by 120% and breast cancer by 123%.
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Heavy drinking (usually defined as about 3.5 drinks per day) increases the risk of oral cancer by 500%, throat cancer by 260%, esophageal cancer by 500%, certain types of liver cancer by 200%, colon cancer by 150%, and breast cancer by 160%.
If you remember hearing that light drinking might be good for you, that doesn’t necessarily contradict these results. There is research that has shown a lower risk of heart disease with light alcohol consumption, which is why it is included in the list Mediterranean diet. But keep in mind that this diet was based on what people in certain Mediterranean populations ate and drank, and that it was adopted as a package deal, not assembled from habits that we know for certain are healthy.
The advice from the Surgeon General and other public health organizations is that if you already drink alcohol, you may want to reduce your alcohol intake. And if you don’t drink yet, you probably shouldn’t start. If you think you might be drinking too much, the CDC has an answer Tool to assess your drinking habits and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has one Hotline to find out more about the treatment.
