The science behind the link between alcohol and cancer The relationship between alcohol and cancer has been clear to scientists for decades.
In fact, it was highlighted in a 2016 surgeon general’s report as well, which focused on addiction more broadly.
And even moderate alcohol consumption – one or fewer drinks per day – may elevate cancer risk for some types, such as breast, throat and mouth cancers.
All of these lifestyle and personal health factors can influence how risky alcohol consumption is for you.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has similar recommendations around limiting alcohol consumption and advises that for people who choose to drink alcohol, “the less, the better.”
The new year is a time for many people to consider their relationship with alcohol. Recent government directives are providing Americans with yet another justification for contemplating a “dry January.”. “.”.
Growing research over the last few decades has demonstrated that drinking just one or two drinks of alcohol a day can raise your risk of developing a number of cancers. This led to the U. S. On January, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy will issue a new Surgeon General Advisory. 3, 2025, alerting people to the connection between alcohol and cancer. In addition to highlighting the evidence, this report called for new cancer warning labels on alcoholic beverages.
Despite the fact that scientists have been attempting to establish a link between alcohol and cancer for decades, most people are unaware of the dangers and may only link drinking to liver conditions like cirrhosis. Fewer than half of Americans recognized alcohol as a cancer risk factor in a 2019 American Institute for Cancer Research survey.
In America, alcohol is the third most common preventable cause of cancer. S, ranking it second only to obesity and tobacco. Alcohol plays a role in breast, liver, colorectal, mouth, throat, esophageal, and voice box cancer cases, contributing to an estimated 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually, as the surgeon general’s report emphasizes. Each year, the number of deaths from alcohol-related traffic crashes is surpassed by those from alcohol-induced cancer.
The report recommended that alcohol be given warning labels, much like tobacco products, another drug of abuse that is known to cause cancer.
I am pleased to see the call to action for lowering alcohol consumption in the US as a neuroscientist who focuses on the neurobiological effects of alcohol use and binge drinking.
important conclusions from the report.
Given that the majority of people drink alcohol on a weekly basis and that so few people are aware of the connections between alcohol use and different types of cancer, it is understandable why the surgeon general is advocating for increased awareness. The 22-page report outlines current scientific findings regarding the link between alcohol and cancer and makes recommendations for future research. Among them are modifications to alcohol labels, which have not been changed since their creation in 1988.
Remarkably, a significant amount of this risk is associated with breast cancer, which is especially concerning given the rise in female alcohol consumption.
It is not just heavy drinkers who are affected by these figures. Even though it’s better to drink less, 25% of these cancer cases involved moderate drinkers, who typically consume less than two drinks daily. This implies that everyone who regularly consumes alcohol, even in tiny doses, should be aware of the dangers.
Surgeon General’s advisories are the main means by which the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the Office of the Surgeon General, informs the public about health issues that are extremely important. Surgeon general’s advisories are a chance to raise public awareness of the science behind significant public health issues, even though they are not always breaking news.
the scientific basis for the association between alcohol and cancer.
For many years, scientists have known that alcohol and cancer are related. Indeed, it was also emphasized in a 2016 surgeon general’s report that addressed addiction in general.
The new report lists the various forms of evidence that support this connection. Epidemiological science is one approach, which looks for trends and connections between alcohol consumption and cancer frequencies. Scientists can also learn about the mechanism and causality of these connections as they relate to particular cancers through experimental animal studies. All of the studies point to a clear connection and pathway between alcohol use and cancer.
There are four main ways that alcohol can lead to cancer, according to the surgeon general’s report. These mostly center on the detrimental effects that alcohol can have on your DNA, which is the building block of cells. Even though your body’s healthy cells divide constantly, aberrant factors like alcohol-induced DNA damage can cause abnormal growth.
As a result of this DNA damage, tissue grows uncontrollably rather than normally and healthily. Cancer is the growth of abnormal tissue. The report highlights the following four ways that alcohol consumption can cause cancer.
Acetaldehyde is the byproduct of alcohol’s natural breakdown in the body. Acetaldehyde can cause chromosomal rearrangements and tumors by damaging and breaking DNA. Acetaldehyde has been listed as a carcinogen since 1999 because of how strongly this link exists.
Alcohol produces oxygen species that are reactive. Oxygen-containing unstable molecules known as reactive oxygen species, or “free radicals,” have the ability to further harm proteins, fats, and DNA.
Alcohol can affect estrogen and other hormones. Alcohol consumption has been linked to breast cancer, possibly because it increases the body’s levels of estrogen. This elevated estrogen can affect breast tissue by damaging DNA, you guessed it.
Because alcohol is a solvent, other substances can dissolve in it. When cigarettes and e-cigarettes are consumed together, this facilitates the body’s absorption of carcinogens from other sources.
Can you drink alcohol in any amount?
The most common question people have right now is probably, “How much alcohol can I safely drink?” The answer to that question may surprise you, but it’s probably none.
One of the most avoidable cancer risk factors is still alcohol consumption. Furthermore, drinking alcohol in moderation—one drink or less per day—may increase the risk of developing certain cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, and breast.
However, you cannot determine your personal cancer risk from any of these studies. Your genes, which regulate the enzymes that break down alcohol, as well as other lifestyle factors that affect cancer rates generally, such as inflammation and diet, can have an impact on the link between alcohol and cancer. These lifestyle and health-related factors can all affect how dangerous drinking alcohol is for you.
If you decide to drink, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that you avoid binge drinking altogether and try to limit your daily intake to less than one standard serving of alcohol for women and two for men, which may be less than you think. In addition, the surgeon general is proposing a revision of these guidelines that would incorporate revised daily alcohol consumption limits and increased awareness-raising regarding the connection between alcohol and cancer.
Similar suggestions regarding reducing alcohol intake are made by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, which states that “the less, the better” for those who choose to consume alcohol. “”.
