How Does Alcohol Contribute to Cancer Risk?

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Alcohol use is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the US, behind only tobacco and obesity, contributing to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths each year.

Consuming alcohol increases the risk of developing at least 7 types of cancer including:

• Mouth (oral cavity)
• Esophagus
• Breast (for women)
• Liver
• Throat (Pharynx)
• Voice Box (Larynx)
• Colon and Rectum

Let’s dig deeper into this issue and what actions can be taken to decrease the risk!

Warning Labels on Alcoholic Beverages

With the many health risks that come with alcohol consumption, the U.S. Surgeon General has called for updating alcoholic beverage labels to include a warning about the risk of cancer associated with alcohol consumption.

“Pursue changes to label characteristics to make the warning label more visible, prominent, and effective in increasing awareness about cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption,” according to the advisory.

72% of U.S. adults have reported that they consumed one or more drinks per week.

However, less than half of U.S. adults are aware of the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risk.

“People need to understand the risks in order to make fully informed decisions about using alcohol, especially cancer survivors and those with a family cancer history,” said Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center behavioral scientist and psychologist, Dr. Jennifer Hay.

How Does Alcohol Cause Cancer?

The Surgeon General’s Advisory points to four ways that ethanol, the type of pure alcohol that is in alcohol-containing beverages, contribute to cancer, including:

1. Alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde, which damages DNA in multiple ways, causing an increased risk of cancer.
2. Alcohol induces oxidative stress, increasing the risk of cancer by damaging DNA, proteins, and cells and increasing inflammation.
3. Alcohol alters multiple levels of hormones, including estrogen, which can increase breast cancer risk.
4. Alcohol leads to greater absorption of carcinogens.

Research shows that about 5 more women out of 100 would develop cancer due to the consumption of 2 drinks a day, and about 3 more men out of 100 would develop cancer due to the consumption of 2 drinks a day.

Additionally, higher alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer in women.

“The largest burden of alcohol-related cancer in the U.S. is for breast cancer in women with an estimated 44,180 cases in 2019, representing 16.4% of the approximately 270,000 total breast cancer cases for women,” according to the advisory.

Latinos and Alcohol Consumption

Latinos who drink are more likely to do so in higher volumes, according to a Salud America! resource.

This is a major concern, considering that cancer is a leading cause of death in Latinos.

Latinos already face a heavy cancer burden due to other barriers, including low screening rates, socioeconomic inequities, and low participation in clinical studies, which means research often fails to reflect the diversity within the U.S. Latino population.

Therefore, it’s important to focus on additional and preventable causes of cancer like alcohol.

Along with updating the health warning label, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory also recommends:

• Strengthening and expanding education efforts to increase general awareness that alcohol consumption causes cancer.
• Informing patients in clinical settings about the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk.
• Promote the use of alcohol screening and provide brief intervention and referral to treatment as needed.
• Highlighting alcohol consumption as a leading modifiable cancer risk factor.
• Incorporating proven alcohol reduction strategies into population-level cancer prevention initiatives and plans.

The complete Surgeon General’s Advisory can be found here.

How Can You Help People in Your Community?

Alcohol consumption is just one factor that contributes to health.

But what does the health in your community look like?

Explore what health equity looks like in your area by Health Equity Report Card from Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio.

This report card has maps and data visualizations that shows inequities in local access to healthcare, food, education, and other non-medical drivers of health.

You can use the data to help advocate for your neighbors. Share on social and present the Health Equity Report Card to your city’s leadership!

Get your Health Equity Report Card!