Study finds modest alcohol intake raises risk of multiple cancer deaths in U.S.
A new analysis of three decades of U.S. data shows that even a single daily drink is associated with higher mortality from several cancers, with alcohol-related cancer deaths more than doubling since 1990.
A study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas examined U.S. data from the Global Burden of Disease project and found that the proportion of cancer deaths attributable to alcohol increased by 58% among adults aged 20 and older over the past 33 years. The number of annual alcohol-linked cancer deaths rose from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023.
The research identified higher risks for breast, prostate, colorectal, stomach, pancreatic, liver and head-and-neck cancers. Among adults 20 to 54, colorectal cancer was the leading alcohol-related cause of death in men and the second leading cause in women, while breast cancer topped the list for women overall. For older men, liver cancer showed the strongest association, and for women over 55, breast cancer was the primary driver.
"While it's true that overall cancer mortality has declined, we found the percentage of cancer deaths proportionally attributable to alcohol rose over 58% in people 20 and older over the last 33 years," said Dr. Chinmay Jani, the study's first author and chief clinical fellow in hematology and oncology at the University of Miami.
"Overall, we know alcohol is closely related to liver cancer mortality," he added.
The authors noted that the risk increase was observed with roughly one standard drink per day – defined as 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine or 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits. They emphasized that lowering consumption to the lowest possible level would reduce cancer risk, though the study did not assess the benefits of complete abstinence.
Cardiologist Dr. Andrew Freeman, who was not involved in the study, said modern research challenges the notion that moderate drinking is safe. The Distilled Spirits Council disputed the claim that no safe level exists, stating the study does not represent the full scientific evidence on alcohol and health.
The analysis also outlined biological mechanisms linking alcohol to cancer, including the conversion of ethanol to the probable carcinogen acetaldehyde, hormone alterations, oxidative stress, inflammation and interference with nutrient absorption.
The findings suggest that public health guidance may need to be revised to reflect the growing evidence of cancer risk associated with even low-level alcohol consumption.