Cancer

Cancer is a complex disease, and numerous factors contribute to an individual’s risk. The American Cancer Society (“ACS”) explains “risk factors” as follows: “[a] risk factor is anything that raises your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be changed. Others, like a person’s age or family history, can’t be changed.”¹

The ACS also notes that, “[h]aving a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. And some people who get the disease may have few or no known risk factors.”²

Some studies have found an association between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of certain types of cancer. Most of the associated risks relate to excessive or heavy consumption, but some studies have also reported an association with moderate consumption, such as an increased risk of breast cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “[a]lcohol consumption is associated with a variety of short- and long-term health risks, including…various cancers. The risk of these harms increases with the amount of alcohol you drink. For some conditions, like some cancers, the risk increases even at very low levels of alcohol consumption (less than 1 drink).”³

The American Cancer Society notes that this association is not specific to any type of beverage alcohol.

Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks, whether they are beers, wines, liquors (distilled spirits), or other drinks. Alcoholic drinks contain different percentages of ethanol, but in general, a standard size drink of any type — 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor — contains about the same amount of ethanol (about half an ounce). Of course, larger or ‘stronger’ drinks can contain more ethanol than this. Overall, the amount of alcohol someone drinks over time, not the type of alcoholic beverage, seems to be the most important factor in raising cancer risk. Most evidence suggests that it is the ethanol that increases the risk, not other things in the drink.⁴

NIH also notes that studies examining whether an individual’s cancer risk declines after they stop drinking alcohol. According to NIH, “in general, these studies have found that stopping alcohol consumption is not associated with immediate reductions in cancer risk. The cancer risks eventually decline, although it may take years for the risks of cancer to return to those of never drinkers.”⁵

Some studies report reduced risk of certain types of cancer. The NIH National Cancer Institute, notes, however, that, “any potential benefits of alcohol consumption for reducing the risks of some cancers are likely outweighed by the harms of alcohol consumption.”⁶

Breast Cancer

Some studies have found that excessive drinking is associated with an increased risk of certain types of cancer, and some have also reported an association between moderate alcohol consumption and an increased risk of breast cancer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that, “[o]ver time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including…cancer of the breast and that, by not drinking too much, you can reduce the risk of these short- and long-term health risks.”⁷

The 2016 Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health further notes that, “for breast cancer, studies have shown that even moderate drinking may increase the risk and that even one drink per day may increase the risk of breast cancer.”⁸

Colorectal and Stomach Cancers

The American Cancer Society (“ACS”) explains that there are a number of risk factors for developing GI cancers and that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for some specific GI cancers, such as colorectal, stomach, oral and upper airways/digestive tract cancers.

The ACS notes that, “Researchers have found several risk factors that might increase a person’s chance of developing colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer.” Regarding alcohol use, the ACS states: Colorectal cancer has been linked to moderate to heavy alcohol use. Even light-to-moderate alcohol intake has been associated with some risk. It is best not to drink alcohol. If people do drink alcohol, they should have no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. This could have many health benefits, including a lower risk of many kinds of cancer.”⁹

The ACS also notes that “[s]cientists have found several risk factors that make a person more likely to get stomach cancer. Some of these can be controlled, but others cannot.” Specifically, the ACS notes that “[a]lcohol use probably increases the risk of stomach cancer. The evidence for this link is strongest for people who have 3 or more drinks per day.”¹⁰

Mouth, Throat, and Upper Airways Cancers

The American Cancer Society describes the risk factors for various cancers of the mouth, esophagus, throat, and upper airways. A common theme in their review of the topic is that there are many risk factors for each of these; in most cases, they identify genetics, tobacco use, and diet and lifestyle factors. 

Other Cancers

What about all other types of cancers?

Potential association between alcohol and kidney and liver cancers are addressed on these other pages: Kidney Disease, Liver Disease

For some cancers, research has not demonstrated an association with alcohol consumption and a change in risk. The National Institutes of Health states that:

“numerous studies have examined whether there is an association between alcohol consumption and the risk of other cancers. For cancers of the ovary, prostate, stomach, uterus, and bladder, either no association with alcohol use has been found or the evidence for an association is inconsistent. However, evidence is accumulating that alcohol consumption is associated with increased risks of melanoma and of prostate and pancreatic cancers.”¹⁴

As always, every legal age adult who chooses to drink should discuss their alcohol consumption with their health providers – together they can evaluate their individual risk factors, such as family history, genetics and lifestyle