US Surgeon General urges cancer warning for alcoholic drinks: Here’s how alcohol increases your cancer risk

Alcohol

may soon come with a cigarette-style risk warning as the

US Surgeon General

Dr. Vivek Murthy has pushed for updated labels to highlight its link to

seven types of cancer

.
“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 US – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” Murthy said in a statement.
To update the existing warning labels, an act of Congress would be required which has not been updated since 1988.
The Surgeon General’s office has said alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the US, after tobacco and obesity. Alcohol consumption is associated with seven types of cancer – breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box.

Regardless of what type of alcohol is consumed, the risk remains and increases as the consumption rises.
“The direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well-established for at least seven types of cancer …regardless of the type of alcohol (e.g., beer, wine, and spirits) that is consumed,” Murthy said in a statement.
Dr. Murthy has also advocated for reevaluating recommended alcohol consumption limits and enhancing public education about the link between

alcohol and cancer

.
The Surgeon General’s office noted that in case of certain cancers like breast, mouth and throat cancers, the risk may begin to develop with one or fewer drinks per day, adding that any individual’s cancer risk is influenced by a number of factors, including their own biology and environment.
The new report has called out the attention of healthcare providers to encourage alcohol screening and treatment referrals as required, and the need for expansion of efforts to increase general awareness.
Alcohol is a common term for ethanol or

ethyl alcohol

, a chemical substance found in alcoholic beverages. It is produced by the fermentation of sugars and starches by yeast. It is also found in some medicines, mouthwashes, and household products.

Why does drinking alcohol raise cancer risk?

When you drink alcohol, your body turns it into a chemical that can damage your DNA—the instructions that guide how your cells grow and function. Damaged DNA can cause cells to grow uncontrollably, leading to cancer.
Researchers suggest alcohol may increase cancer risk in several ways. It breaks down into acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical that can damage DNA and proteins. Alcohol also generates reactive oxygen species that harm DNA, proteins, and fats. Additionally, it interferes with the absorption of important nutrients like vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and carotenoids, which are linked to cancer prevention. Alcohol raises estrogen levels, increasing the risk of breast cancer, and may contain carcinogens like nitrosamines, asbestos fibers, and hydrocarbons from the fermentation and production process. However, the mechanisms by which alcohol might reduce the risk of some cancers are still unclear.
Drinking alcohol is associated with several types of cancer. In its Report on Carcinogens, the National Toxicology Program of the US Department of Health and Human Services lists consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen.
The more alcohol someone drinks—especially over time—the greater their risk of developing cancers linked to alcohol. Even light drinkers who have just one drink a day, as well as binge drinkers (4+ drinks for women or 5+ for men in one sitting), face a slightly higher cancer risk. In fact, research from 2009 estimates that alcohol was responsible for 3.5% of all US cancer deaths, or about 19,500 lives lost.

Types of cancer linked with alcohol

Here are types of cancer associated with alcoholic drinks as per National Cancer Institute:
Head and neck cancer: Moderate

drinkers have 1.8-fold higher risks of oral cavity (excluding the lips) and pharynx (throat) cancers and 1.4-fold higher risks of larynx (voice box) cancers than non-drinkers, and heavy drinkers have 5-fold higher risks of oral cavity and pharynx cancers and 2.6-fold higher risks of larynx cancers.
Esophageal cancer: Drinking alcohol increases the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, a type of esophageal cancer. Light drinking raises the risk by 1.3 times, while heavy drinking increases it nearly 5 times compared to not drinking. People with a genetic enzyme deficiency that affects alcohol metabolism face an even higher risk if they drink alcohol.
Liver cancer: Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with two-fold increased risks of two types of liver cancer – hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
Breast cancer: Studies show that drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. Light drinkers have a slightly higher risk (1.04 times), while moderate and heavy drinkers have a greater risk (1.23 and 1.6 times, respectively) compared to nondrinkers. For women who have never smoked, light to moderate drinking raises the risk of alcohol-related cancers, mainly breast cancer, by 1.13 times.
Colorectal cancer: Moderate to heavy alcohol consumption is associated with 1.2- to 1.5-fold increased risks of cancers of the colon and rectum compared with no alcohol consumption.

Risk of secondary cancers

Alcohol consumption may increase the risk of developing second primary cancers. A meta-analysis of 19 studies found that for patients with upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancers (oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus), drinking 10 grams of alcohol per day before their first cancer diagnosis raised the risk of a second UADT cancer by 1.09 times. However, it is unclear if alcohol increases the risk of second cancers in other areas, such as the breast.

Can alcohol decrease risk of certain cancers?

However, alcohol consumption is also linked with decreased risks of kidney cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in multiple studies.