Surgeon General Reports Alcohol as Cause of Seven Cancers

For years, billboards in the US have alerted people to the hazards of driving while impaired. In January of this year, the Surgeon General’s report revealed that 20,000 cancer deaths every year are associated with alcohol consumption.

Author Michael Schroeder, a freelance health writer, reports in AARP.com that the association with cancer was initially identified in the l980s with evidence increasing through the years. Vivek Murthy, the Former US Surgeon General issued the first report with an emphasis on alcohol being the cause of over one hundred thousand preventable cases each year.

According to surveys, alcohol ranks third as a preventable cause of cancer after obesity and tobacco.

The seven cancers associated with alcohol are:

• colorectum
• liver
• breast (women)
• esophagus
• mouth
• larynx
• throat

Any amount of alcohol consumption is accompanied by risk according to medical oncologist Dr. Noelle LoConte at the Carbone Center in Wisconsin who has been studying the association between cancer and alcohol.

Breast Cancer and Alcohol

Research has established the fact that alcohol either raises or alters hormone levels. Higher levels of estrogen lead to breast tissue mutations causing cancer. Dr. LoConte says that even drinking one glass as allowed in the ACS guidelines can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer.

Over forty-four thousand breast cancer cases associated with breast cancer can be attributed to the consumption of alcohol according to a 2024 ACS journal.

Other risk factors that may raise the risk of cancer are obesity, age, genetics and various environmental exposures. Doctors advise patients to consider all risks.

Esophageal, Throat, and Mouth Cancers

Although less common than breast cancer, alcohol-related cancers in this group increase in relationship to the amount of alcohol a person consumes. Dr. LoConte recommends staying within guidelines that are recommended while taking other risk factors into consideration.

Dr. LoConte was lead author of a 2018 report on cancer and alcohol outlining the association between cancer rates and alcohol consumption.

Heavy Drinkers vs Non-Drinkers

Heavy drinkers are characterized as 15 drinks or more for men per week or women who consume over eight drinks per week. People in these categories developed throat and mouth cancers and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at rates five times more than people who abstain.

One result of alcohol in the body is acetaldehyde which is known to damage DNA and cause cells to become tumors. Heavy drinkers are known to have more infections.

Carcinogens, and particles from alcohol smoke specifically, can be easily absorbed into the body. This increases the risk of throat and mouth cancers.

Dr. LoConte points out that drinking complicates cancer treatment. There are more complications involving many aspects of surgery and patients who drink do not respond as well to chemotherapy as non-drinkers. Patients undergoing cancer treatment also have a higher rate of their cancer reoccurring.

And finally, immunotherapy, which has been curative for many cancer patients, may not be as effective due to alcohol consumption.

Source: AARP

Alcohol causing cancer breast cancer cancer Colorectum Cancer Esophagus Cancer Larynx Cancer liver cancer Mouth Cancer Throat Cancer

Last modified: March 24, 2025