Alcohol consumption linked to 6 types of cancer: Report

Alcohol consumption can cause six types of cancer, according to a report by the American Association for Cancer Research.

In Short

• There are six types of cancer associated with alcohol intake
• These include breast cancer, colon cancer and liver cancer, among others
• No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health, as per WHO  

A new study has revealed that drinking alcohol is linked to six types of cancer, more than 5% of all cancer cases. The 2024 Cancer Progress Report by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) highlighted that alcohol is the third risk factor for cancer after obesity and cigarette smoking.

The report noted that 40% of all cancer cases are associated with "modifiable risk factors", which means that these risk factors can be prevented very easily if we change our lifestyle. Alcohol consumption is prominent among them.

The six types of cancer that are linked to alcohol intake include:

• Head and neck cancers
• Oesophageal cancer
• Liver cancer
• Breast cancer
• Colorectal/colon cancer
• Stomach cancer

Researchers estimate that exposure to certain cancer risk factors early has become more prevalent in recent decades.

This includes diets rich in highly processed foods, alcohol, tobacco, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, environmental carcinogens, and an unfavourable microbiome, that are playing a role in the increased incidence of early-onset cancers.

"Accordingly, it is critical for each country and region to conduct studies to understand the etiologies of early-onset cancers, and to tailor public health strategies based on the local characteristics and burden of early-onset cancers," as per the report.

Dr Adam Scioli, an addiction psychiatrist from Caron Treatment Centers, explained that although there have been reports for years about how much alcohol could be beneficial for health, "we know now that alcohol ingestion is one of the modifiable risk factors for cancer."

Nearly 20% of US cancer diagnoses are related to excess body weight, unhealthy dietary patterns, alcohol intake, and physical inactivity, the report stated.

According to Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, physical activity and obesity, which are linked to heavy drinking, also separately increase cancer risks.

"Despite this, misconceptions persist. The type of alcoholic beverage, be it beer, wine, or spirits, doesn’t significantly alter the cancer risk. It’s the ethanol (the chemical name for alcohol) itself that’s carcinogenic (cancer-causing)," Stebbing wrote in The Conversation.

Some studies may suggest that red wine could have protective effects against certain diseases, but there's no clear evidence that it helps prevent cancer.

"Research indicates that those who reduce alcohol consumption or stop drinking altogether can decrease their risk of developing alcohol-related cancers by 8% and can reduce their risk of all cancer by 4% compared to those who sustain or increase their consumption of alcohol," the report stated.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier stated that alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel cancer and breast cancer. "Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance," as per WHO. The health agency added that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.

Rajarshi Sengupta, the lead author of the AARC report, called for awareness campaigns and cancer-specific warning labels on alcohol beverages.