WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study found that the number of cancer deaths in the U.S. linked to alcohol doubled between 1990 and 2023.
Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, looked at more than 30 years of data from the Global Burden of Disease study. They found that the number of alcohol-related cancer deaths each year increased from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023.
'The most surprising finding was the breadth of alcohol's potential impact across cancer types,' said corresponding author Dr. Chinmay Jani. 'Although its relationship with liver cancer is widely recognized, its contribution to cancers such as colorectal, esophageal, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer is less well understood by the public.'
The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, found that men and adults aged 55 and older had the highest number of alcohol-related cancer deaths. Among older men, liver cancer had the highest alcohol-related death rate, followed by esophageal and colorectal cancers. Among women, breast cancer was the leading cause of alcohol-related cancer deaths.
Among adults ages 20-54, colorectal cancer was the leading alcohol-related cause of cancer death in men, while breast cancer was the leading cause in women. Researchers also found an increasing number of alcohol-related deaths from colorectal, esophageal, pancreatic, and other cancers.
There were also major differences between states and regions. In 2023, Washington, D.C., had the highest alcohol-related cancer death rate, while Utah had the lowest.
'The most important takeaway is greater awareness that alcohol may affect cancer risk beyond the liver,' Jani concluded. 'These findings highlight alcohol as a potentially modifiable risk factor, and while the lowest safe dose is not yet known, this study suggests that reducing consumption to the lowest amount feasible for each individual may help lessen its impact on cancer risk and overall health.'
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