Amid new year’s eve celebrations and heightened alcohol consumption, the US Surgeon General on Friday issued an advisory warning about the cancer risks linked to alcohol. The advisory also urged the implementation of updated health warning labels on alcoholic beverages to increase public awareness.
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy noted that the link between alcohol and cancer has been recognised since the 1980s, with growing evidence highlighting the risks. However, current mandatory warning labels do not adequately convey the health dangers.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the US,” Vivek Murthy said, CNN reported.
“Yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” he added.
Increased risk of at least seven types of cancer
According to the US Surgeon General’s office, alcohol ranks as the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, following tobacco and obesity.
The report highlights a well-established link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of at least seven types of cancer: breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, oral, throat, and laryngeal. Notably, alcohol is responsible for 16.4 per cent of all breast cancer cases.
As per the report, a 2019 study revealed that merely 45 per cent of Americans recognised alcohol as a cancer risk factor, whilst awareness was significantly higher for radiation exposure (91 per cent), tobacco use (89 per cent), asbestos exposure (81 per cent), and obesity (53 per cent).
Recent scientific findings have challenged the belief that some alcoholic beverages, such as red wine, provide health benefits, instead emphasising the overall health risks associated with alcohol use.
‘Moderate drinking also linked risk of cancers’
A December report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine noted that while moderate drinking, defined as up to two drinks per day for men and one for women—may be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, it is also linked to a higher risk of certain cancers.
The current warning label, established in 1988, only mentions pregnancy-related birth defects, that “women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects” and that “consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems,” Associated Press reported.
The Surgeon General’s office emphasised that even minimal alcohol consumption – one or fewer drinks daily – may trigger risks for breast, mouth and throat cancers. It also noted that individual cancer risk varies based on biological and environmental factors.
The advisory challenges current US dietary recommendations that set daily limits at two drinks for men and one for women. A concerning statistic shows that 17 per cent of alcohol-related cancer deaths occur in people who adhere to these recommended limits, indicating a need to reassess these guidelines.
How alcohol causes cancer
The research shows that alcohol contributes to cancer through the following mechanisms:
- Acetaldehyde formation:
- Alcohol metabolises into acetaldehyde, a compound that damages DNA by binding to it.
- Damaged DNA can lead to uncontrolled cell growth, resulting in cancerous tumors.
- Oxidative stress:
- Alcohol generates reactive oxygen species, causing oxidative stress.
- This process damages DNA, proteins, and lipids, increasing inflammation and cancer risk.
- Hormonal disruption:
- Alcohol alters hormone levels, particularly estrogen, which is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer.
- Absorption of carcinogens:
- Alcohol acts as a solvent for carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke particles, making them easier for the body to absorb.
- This increases the risk of cancers in the mouth and throat
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