Experts Warn of Link Between Drinking Alcohol and Getting Cancer

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A new report from the American Association for Cancer Research highlights a frequently overlooked contributor to cancer risk: alcohol consumption.

Progress in Cancer Outcomes

Overall cancer death rates in the US have fallen by 33 percent between 1991 and 2021, a decline equivalent to roughly 4.1 million lives saved. Reductions in smoking, together with advances in early detection, prevention, and treatment, have all played a part in this improvement.

Rising Incidence Among Younger Adults

Despite these gains, incidence rates for several cancers—including breast, colorectal, and cervical—are increasing, even among adults under 50. While the precise drivers remain under investigation, the report underscores that approximately 40 percent of all US cancer cases are linked to modifiable lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, diet, and physical activity.

Alcohol: A Significant yet Underrecognized Risk

Experts Warn of Link Between Drinking Alcohol and Getting Cancer

This brings renewed attention to alcohol, a common yet less stigmatized risk factor compared with smoking. In 2019—the most recent year with available data—alcohol was responsible for 5.4 percent of cancers in the US, or about one in every eighteen cases. By comparison, smoking accounts for roughly 20 percent of all cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.

Public awareness of the alcohol–cancer connection remains low. “Fifty-one percent of people—or more than half—do not know that alcohol increases your risk of cancer,” Jane Figueiredo, an epidemiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and a contributor to the report, told the New York Times. “That’s concerning.” Research in the European Union suggests awareness may be even lower.

Challenging Myths About Alcohol and Health

One reason for limited awareness is the persistence of myths about alcohol’s supposed benefits, notably the belief that moderate red-wine consumption supports heart health. Figueiredo notes: “We can talk about the myth that red wine has potential cardiovascular benefits, but there are many ways to keep your heart healthy, and these potential benefits don’t really outweigh your cancer risks.”

How Alcohol Contributes to Cancer Development

Alcohol elevates cancer risk primarily by damaging DNA during metabolism. It can also disrupt the gut microbiome, a change linked in some studies to higher colorectal-cancer risk. The report further indicates that drinking at a young age is associated with increased cancer susceptibility later in life.

Raising Awareness Through Clearer Labeling

While occasional drinking is unlikely to pose catastrophic risk for most people, the greater concern is widespread unawareness of these dangers. To improve public understanding, the report’s authors recommend adding cancer-specific warning labels to alcoholic beverages, similar to those used on tobacco products.