Alcohol abuse is a major preventable cause of cancer, according to an advisory from the Surgeon General. Studies show a link to at least 7 types of cancer. The more people drink, the greater the risk.
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The Surgeon General has issued a new warning about the cancer risks of alcohol, which contributes to about 100,000 cancer cases a year. As NPR’s Allison Aubrey reports, there’s growing evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: If you’re in the habit of drinking wine, beer or cocktails, you’re in good company. Dry January aside, what the data does show is that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults report having at least one or more drinks per week. But Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says what many people don’t realize is that alcohol consumption can increase the risk of breast and colorectal cancer, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus and liver.
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Vivek Murthy: Science has been evolving for years, creating greater and greater certainty about more and more types of cancer. But what is clear is that while people know, for example, about the link between tobacco and cancer, less than half of people in America know that alcohol is actually linked to cancer risk.
AUBREY: The report finds that alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer, after tobacco use and obesity. In 2020, a coalition of health advocacy groups petitioned the U.S. government to adopt a cancer warning label on alcoholic beverages, and Murthy says he would like to see Congress act on the matter, adding cancer to existing warnings about drinking alcohol during and during pregnancy. Operating a vehicle or heavy machinery. But what’s not clear is how much alcohol might increase a person’s risk, Murthy says.
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Murthy: The exact level that’s right for each individual depends on their cancer risk based on their genes, family history, and environmental exposure.
Aubrey: The more you drink, the greater the risk. In Canada, guidelines advise people that drinking three to six drinks a week can increase the risk of breast and colon cancer. Dr. Jimmy Koprivnikar is an oncologist at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey.
Jaime Koprivnikar: In working with cancer patients, we really know, especially in patients with a history of breast cancer, that continued alcohol use poses a significant risk of breast cancer recurrence.
AUBREY: As the body metabolizes alcohol, a compound called acetaldehyde is produced, which is a possible carcinogen. This is one mechanism linking alcohol to cancer, says Dr. Koprivnikar. She says many of her patients ask her if there is a safe amount to consume.
Koprivnikar: I think the safest amount of alcohol is complete abstinence.
AUBREY: Current US guidelines recommend no more than one drink per day for women, and two for men. An evaluation is now underway to determine whether this guidance should be revised.
Allison Aubrey, NPR News.
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