Each year, alcohol consumption contributes to about 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths, according to a Jan. 3 report from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD.
The causal link between alcohol and cancer was first established in the late 1980s, and a growing body of evidence has since supported this claim. Dr. Murthy's advisory says there are at least seven alcohol-related cancers, including cancer of the breast (in women), colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx) and voice box (larynx).
As alcohol consumption increases, so does the risk of cancer. Additionally, for breast, mouth and throat cancers, scientific evidence has found this risk might begin to increase with one or fewer drinks per day.
Tobacco and obesity are the top two leading causes of cancer, and alcohol use is the third. However, less than half of Americans are aware of alcohol-related cancer risks, according to the report.
Here are seven statistics to know from the surgeon general's advisory:
- 96,730: The estimated number of alcohol-related cancer cases in 2019.
- 1 million: How many alcohol-related cancer cases have been preventable in the past decade.
- 44,180: The estimated number of alcohol-related breast cancer cases in women in 2019, representing 16.4% of all breast cancer cases in women.
- 741,300: The global burden of cancer cases related to alcohol use in 2020.
- 185,100: How many of those worldwide cases were related to about two or fewer drinks per day.
- 305,000: The annual total of years of potential life lost due to alcohol-related cancer deaths.
- 2: The number of daily drinks that would cause cancer in 5 in 100 women and 3 in 100 men, according to the estimated cumulative absolute risk.
Dr. Murthy recommends updating the health warning on alcoholic beverage labels to be more visible and prominent, informing patients in clinical settings about this risk and including alcohol reduction strategies in population-level cancer prevention initiatives. He also called for reassessing the HHS' recommended limits for alcohol consumption, which is two drinks or fewer for men and one drink or fewer for women.
Bruce Scott, MD, president of the American Medical Association, applauded the report and said the advisory, "coupled with a push to update the Surgeon General's health warning label on alcoholic beverages, will bolster awareness, improve health and save lives."