It’s become common knowledge that alcohol is a carcinogen — otherwise known as a cancer-causing substance. A new report paints a concerning picture of just how many cancers and related deaths may be the result of drinking alcohol.
The study in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, published by the American Cancer Society, lists alcohol as the third most common carcinogen, with 5% of cancer cases in people over 30 attributable to imbibing. The new numbers may come as a shock to the public. In 2020, a national survey of adults showed that fewer than a third of respondents knew that alcohol increases cancer risk. About 10% thought that drinking actually reduced their risk of developing cancer.
In one year, just before the COVID pandemic (when cancer was less likely to be diagnosed due to interruptions in care) there were about 95,000 cancer cases, and 24,000 cancer deaths, attributed to alcohol. There were seven cancers associated with alcohol: female breast, colorectal, mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, and liver. However, the report states that there is evidence accumulating that alcohol can cause other cancers, such as pancreatic cancer.
An alcoholic beverage in the United States has about 14 grams of pure ethanol (the type of alcohol in beverages). That includes one 12-ounce serving of 5% ABV (alcohol by volume) beer, 8 to 10 ounces of 7% ABV hard seltzer, a 5-ounce serving of 12% ABV wine, or 1.5 ounces of 40% ABV liquor. The greater a person’s consumption, the higher the risk of cancer.
Lesser amounts of alcohol may also pose a risk to your health
A recent study at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found about 17% of cancer deaths were attributable to low levels of alcohol consumption — less than the former national dietary guidelines’ recommended cap of two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. The updated, current national dietary guidelines state that NO amount of alcohol is safe or beneficial to your health.
Other research attributes tens of thousands of cancer cases to alcohol consumption. In the rising tide of disease and death associated with drinking — especially among women and younger people — cancer is a major component of concern.
Breast cancer is strongly associated with drinking alcohol, according to ongoing research. Female breast cancer is the type of cancer with the greatest number of cases than can be attributed to alcohol. About 44,000 (16% of cases) in 2019 were linked to ethanol use. About 18,000 cases (13%) of colorectal cancers in both men and women were linked to drinking.
The proportion of cancer cases that were attributed to alcohol was higher in men than in women. The number of alcohol-attributable cases was three times higher than women’s (23% versus 8%). The exception was esophageal cancer, in which 24% of cases among women were attributable to alcohol, compared to 17% of cases in men.
Source: https://studyfinds.org/no-drink-is-safe-alcohol-cancer/?nab=0