Alcohol-related cancer deaths in US have more than doubled over three decades

Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States have more than doubled over the past three decades, according to a new study. Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, affiliated with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, analyzed data from 1990 to 2023 and found that annual cancer deaths linked to alcohol increased from 11,361 to 23,126.

The research, published in the Lancet Regional Health in August, connects alcohol consumption to heightened risk of death from various cancers, including breast, prostate, colon, rectal, stomach, pancreatic, liver, and head and neck cancers. Older men experienced the most significant impact, although the study also revealed increases across most cancer types, age groups, and regions.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, placing it in the same category as tobacco and asbestos. Even low levels of alcohol intake, as little as 5 to 15 grams per day, have been associated with increased cancer risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a "standard drink" in the US as containing 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol, and just one drink per day could potentially raise cancer risk.

Alcohol contributes to cancer growth by increasing cancer cell proliferation and survival. In 2019, alcohol was responsible for about 5% of the 1.8 million cancer cases diagnosed in the US and nearly 25,000 of the 600,000 cancer deaths. Among older men, the alcohol-related cancer mortality rate increased by nearly 24% over the 33-year period.

Among women aged 55 and older, breast cancer was the leading alcohol-linked cancer killer, followed by liver and colorectal cancers. Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for alcoholic beverages to carry warning labels to alert consumers about the cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption.