It’s no news that alcohol isn’t healthy for our bodies, but it has become even more prominent as a recent report shows that alcohol is one of the highest modifiable risk factors linked to cancer.
You may want to consider drinking a mocktail on your next night out since findings show that alcohol consumption is the third highest potentially modifiable cancer risk behind cigarette smoking and excess body weight.
An article published in the American Cancer Society journal looked at the top cancers and their risk factors and found drinking was the third highest, with it affecting women more than men.
Authors researched 30 cancer types among adults aged 30 years and older in 2019 in the United States, that were attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors – something that could be changed by lifestyle.
The health risk factors included cigarette smoking; second-hand smoke; excess body weight; alcohol consumption; consumption of red and processed meat; low consumption of fruits and vegetables, dietary fiber, and dietary calcium; physical inactivity; ultraviolet radiation; and seven carcinogenic infections.
Results showed that alcohol consumption had the third-largest PAF (population attributable fraction), behind cigarette smoking which came first, and excessive body weight at second.
Alcohol consumption was followed by UV radiation exposure, and physical inactivity.
This data surrounding cancer risks is useful for advocating for and informing cancer prevention.
Large numbers of cancer cases and deaths in the United States are attributable to preventable risk factors, highlighting the potential to reduce the cancer burden through the implementation of preventive initiatives.
The seven types of cancer risks found to be linked with alcohol consumption are female breast, colorectal, mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, and liver.
For 19 of 30 evaluated cancer types, more than one half of the cancer cases and deaths were attributable to the potentially modifiable risk factors considered in this study.
Research shows that alcohol consumption was the fourth-largest contributor to all cancer cases in men and the third-largest contributor in women.
Oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers in men and oral cavity, esophageal, and pharyngeal cancers in women were attributable to alcohol consumption. However, female breast cancer had the largest number of attributable cases, followed by colorectal cancer in both men and women.
The proportions of cases attributable to alcohol consumption by cancer type were higher in men than in women, except for esophageal cancer.
