Cancer deaths tied to alcohol are rising fast, study finds
Alcohol associated cancer deaths have doubled in the United States over the past three decades, disproportionately impacting men and people 55 and older, according to a new, yet to be published, study being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual conference this week.
The analysis of national death rates attributable to alcohol use between 1990 to 2021 found a significant increase from 11,896 to 23,207 deaths.
"We already know other risk factors, such as tobacco, for cancer," Dr. Chinmay Jani, the study's lead author and a clinical fellow in hematology and oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, told ABC News. "However, it is very important to know that alcohol is also a risk factor and can be a carcinogen in many different cancers."
As the study pointed out, any amount of alcohol has the potential to harm health. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are drinking every day, Jani explained.
The study relied on self-reported drinking habits, which can have some inaccuracies, but researchers used statistical methods to help correct for that.
In January, the U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory linking alcohol use to seven cancers, including breast and colorectal. The advisory recommended adding cancer risk warning labels to alcoholic beverages.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified alcohol as a Group-1 carcinogen, with evidence linking its use to cancers of the liver, breast, colorectal, esophagus, larynx, mouth and throat. Scientists are still working to understand how alcohol causes cancer at the biological level.
Deaths attributable to alcohol use rose by 70.2% in men and 15.2% in women, the study found. Men may be at higher risk because they start drinking at an earlier age and are more likely to engage in risky alcohol behaviors. Biological differences may also make them more vulnerable, Jani said.
The study uncovered some statewide differences, with the highest alcohol associated death rates reported in Washington, D.C., and the lowest in Utah, likely reflecting regional alcohol consumption patterns.
Liver cancer emerged as the most serious risk related to alcohol use, especially in those 55 and older. Even low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption can increase liver cancer risk in those with other conditions like obesity, diabetes or high cholesterol.
"When people are drinking at a younger age, it starts accumulating in your body and then you have manifestations in elderly age, these things we are not aware of when we are young and drinking alcohol, usually more frequently," Jani explained.
Dr. Gilberto Lopes, the chief of medical oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and one of the study’s authors, stressed the critical need for targeted prevention efforts and public health policies to raise awareness about the serious health risks posed by alcohol.
"We hope that our study will help educate the public on the impact of alcohol on individual cancer risk," he said.
Dr. Zakia Jabarkheel is a family medicine resident physician at Emory University and a member of ABC News' medical unit.
