It’s long been known that alcohol is bad for you no matter how much you consume, but new research is highlighting the potential harm it can cause.
According to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Cancer Progress Report 2024, more than 5% of all cancer cases are caused by alcohol.
Among the modifiable risk factors for cancer, alcohol ranks third after obesity (7.6% of cases) and smoking (19.3%).
To reduce your risk of cancer, avoid alcohol. Report proposal
“Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of six types of cancer, including certain types of head and neck cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and stomach cancer,” the book says. said Dr. Rajarshi Sengupta, lead author of the study. in a statement sent to Fox News Digital about the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2024.
According to the American Association for Cancer Research’s Cancer Progress Report 2024, more than 5% of all cancer cases are caused by alcohol. (St. Petersburg)
“Additionally, research shows that alcohol consumption at a young age may increase the risk of cancer later in life.”
Based on these findings, limiting or eliminating alcohol could reduce the risk of developing alcohol-related cancers by 8% and reduce the risk of all cancers by 4%, the report said. .
Addiction experts warn of risks
Dr. Adam Scioli, an addiction psychiatrist at Caron Treatment Center in Pennsylvania, said there is an ongoing “roller coaster of information” about whether alcohol is harmful.
“For years, there have been reports that alcohol consumption may even have health benefits, but we now know that alcohol consumption is one of the modifiable risk factors for cancer. ” Scioli, who is not affiliated with AACR, told FOX News Digital.
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Each year, approximately 75,000 Americans are diagnosed with some form of cancer related to alcohol consumption, Scioli said.
The more you drink, both in quantity and frequency, the higher your risk, he warned.
Among the modifiable risk factors for cancer, alcohol ranks third after obesity (7.6% of cases) and smoking (19.3%). (St. Petersburg)
“Alcohol is a toxin,” Scioli said.
“We’ve known for a long time that this disease affects every organ, basically starting in the brain and affecting the colorectal system.”
Is there a “safe” amount?
Moderate alcohol consumption is defined as one drink or less per day for women.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men should drink no more than two drinks per day.
“We have long known that alcohol affects every organ, starting with the brain and ending with the colorectal system.”
“Moderate alcohol consumption can increase the overall risk of death and chronic disease,” the agency says on its website.
“Even low levels of alcohol consumption (less than one drink a day) may increase your risk of certain cancers.”
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Scioli agreed, stressing that “we can definitively say that there are no additional health benefits from alcohol consumption.”
“The line between safe and dangerous is debatable and varies from person to person.”
Sengupta said that although risk factors such as smoking are widely known, public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer remains low.
According to the CDC, moderate alcohol consumption is defined as no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men. (St. Petersburg)
According to AACR data, most Americans (51%) are unaware that alcohol increases cancer risk.
“For too long, this problem has been kept under the radar, especially when you consider the number of Americans who meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder, which will be approximately 29 million in 2023,” Scioli said. said.
What needs to change?
The good news, Scioli says, is that for modifiable risk factors like alcohol, reducing your intake reduces your risk.
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As described in the report, people who are successful in reducing the amount of alcohol they drink or bring their abstinence below a moderate risk level will have a reduced overall risk of cancer, he said. pointed out.
Experts say about 75,000 Americans each year are diagnosed with some form of cancer related to alcohol consumption. (St. Petersburg)
“We need to do a better job of making the public aware of the risks inherent in drinking alcohol, especially moderate to heavy drinking,” Scioli said.
“And we need to let the public know that there are mechanisms in place for people to moderate their drinking or get help if they are unable to stop on their own.”
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To raise awareness, AACR’s Sengupta called for a public messaging campaign, “including putting cancer-specific warning labels on alcoholic beverages.”
She also told Fox News Digital that “to reduce the burden of alcohol-related cancers, we need to consider effective clinical strategies to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption.”
