Surgeon general pushes for cancer warnings on alcoholic beverages
A new advisory recommends updated warning labels on alcohol, similar to those on cigarette boxes.
Alcohol-related cancer deaths are rising − and it’s not just the liver being impacted by alcohol consumption, according to new research.
In the study, published Aug. 2 in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, the authors found alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the United States doubled from about 11,400 in 1990 to more than 23,100 in 2023. And deaths were not limited to liver cancer. Researchers found there were also growing incidences of colorectal, breast, esophageal, pancreatic and other cancers.
“The most surprising finding was the breadth of alcohol’s potential impact across cancer types,” Dr. Chinmay Jani, corresponding study author and chief fellow in hematology and oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a news release. “Although its relationship with liver cancer is widely recognized, its contribution to cancers such as colorectal, esophageal, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer is less well understood by the public.”
Plus, it doesn’t take much to increase risk. The authors pointed to research that shows alcohol has been linked to elevated cancer risk even at intake levels as low as 5-15 grams per day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a “standard drink” in the U.S. as 0.6 ounces, or 14 grams, of pure alcohol.
The study, led by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, used three decades of Global Burden of Disease data. The study includes some limitations, the authors note, including the observational design of the database framework, which could lead to some incomplete data.
The findings reinforce the idea that lifestyle factors can influence cancer risk, explained Dr. Gilberto Lopes, senior author and chief of the Division of Medical Oncology at Sylvester.
“What this study makes clear is that alcohol-related cancer risk is not limited to one disease or one group of people,” Lopes said in the release. “As physicians and cancer researchers, we have an opportunity to help patients understand that alcohol is a modifiable risk factor and that even small, informed changes can be part of a broader strategy to reduce cancer risk in our community.”