Cancer cases in adults under 50 have been rising in recent years, and alcohol consumption may be one factor contributing to the rise, The New York Times reported Sept. 18.
About 40% of all cancer cases are associated with modifiable risk factors, such as alcohol consumption, tobacco use, healthy diet and weight, and exposure to pollutants. When it comes to alcohol, less than half of people know that alcohol increases risk for cancer, Jane Figueiredo, an epidemiologist at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, told the Times.
The American Association of Cancer Research and other groups are advocating for cancer-specific warning labels to be added to alcoholic beverages to increase public awareness. Here are five ways alcohol affects cancer cases and deaths:
- Moderate and light drinkers experience more cancer deaths than occasional drinkers.
- Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk for six types of cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and certain types of head, neck, breast, colorectal, liver and stomach cancers.
- About one in 20 cancer diagnoses were attributed to alcohol consumption in 2019.
- Frequent or regular drinking in early and mid-adulthood is associated with higher risk of colon and rectal cancers later in life.
- Consuming alcohol during pregnancy can increase the risk of childhood leukemia in offspring.