- U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on alcohol consumption and the increased risk of cancer.
- Murthy wants alcohol labels to include a cancer warning.
- At least seven types of cancer have been linked to alcohol consumption, Murthy said.
Imbibing is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., after tobacco and obesity, raising the risk of at least seven different types of cancer, according to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who said most Americans don’t recognize the danger.
Friday, Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, outlining the link and calling for warning labels about cancer on alcoholic beverages.
There is a “well-established, direct link” for at least seven types of cancer: cancers of the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box, per the advisory. That risk increases regardless of the type of alcohol consumed. The advisory reported that 16.4% of breast cancer cases can be laid at the door of alcohol consumption, for example.
“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 U.S. — yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Vivek said in a news release. “This advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that “for certain cancers, like breast, mouth and throat cancers, evidence shows that the risk of developing cancer may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day,” per the advisory. “An individual’s risk of developing cancer due to alcohol consumption is determined by a complex interaction of biological, environmental, social and economic factors.”
The advisory notes 741,300 cancer cases worldwide were attributable to alcohol in 2020. Of those, 185,100 cancers were diagnosed in people who had two or fewer drinks per day. A standard drink in the U.S. has 14 grams of pure alcohol and would include 5 fluid ounces of wine, 12 of beer or 1.5 of liquor.
Americans unaware of alcohol risks
Advisories are public statements “reserved for significant health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action,” the release said. Murthy has issued advisories on The Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents, Firearm Violence, Loneliness and Isolation, Social Media and Youth Mental Health, Youth Mental Health, Health Worker Well-Being and a Framework on Workplace Well-Being.
A survey conducted by the American Institute for Cancer Research in 2019 among U.S. adults 18 and older found that 91% knew that radiation increases cancer risk and 89% recognized that was true for tobacco. It found 81% knew asbestos raised the risk, as did 53% regarding obesity. But just 45% knew that alcohol increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer.
The advisory notes that the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer consider alcohol a Group 1 carcinogen, its “highest level of classification” for something causing cancer in humans. Tobacco, asbestos and formaldehyde are all among Group 1 carcinogens.
How alcohol causes cancer
The advisory said alcohol has four cancer-causing mechanisms:
- Alcohol breaks down acetaldehyde, a metabolite that binds to and damages DNA, which can allow a cell to grow uncontrollably and create a tumor.
- Alcohol increases inflammation and may harm DNA, proteins and lipids through oxidation.
- Alcohol messes with hormone levels including estrogen, which can lead to breast cancer.
- Other carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke, can dissolve in alcohol, “making it easier for them to be absorbed into the body, increasing the risk for mouth and throat cancers.”
Surgeon general’s recommendations
Since 1988, alcoholic beverages have contained a health warning label that says women shouldn’t drink alcohol while pregnant because of the risk of birth defects. It further notes that drinking impairs ability to drive or operate machinery and can cause health problems.
Murthy wants Congress to change the label statement to include a warning about the cancer risk. The report notes that 47 countries require alcohol warning labels related to health and safety and said that South Korea requires a cancer-specific warning.
The advisory has other recommendations, as well. Besides making the label clear as far as cancer risk, he suggests it be more visible and prominent.
Murthy is also calling for a reassessment of recommended limits for alcohol consumption based on the latest evidence on alcohol and cancer risk. He’s further asking for expanded education to increase general awareness of the link between cancer and alcohol. That includes health care providers talking to patients about the link and screening patients, as well as referring patients for treatment if needed.
Cancer prevention efforts at a population level should include alcohol-reduction strategies, per the advisory.
As the Deseret News reported this week, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines are about to get their twice-a-decade revision. Alcohol has been at the center of a controversy because thus far, the guidelines have not reflected growing scientific evidence that alcohol can be dangerous at any consumption level. You can read more about that here.