Cancer Deaths Linked to Alcohol on the Rise in the U.S.
Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the U.S. have doubled over the past three decades, rising from 11,896 deaths in 1990 to 23,207 in 2021. The increase was seen mostly in men 55 and older, according to new research that will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.
“Alcohol is an established carcinogen that contributes to several different cancers,” said Kathleen Egan, ScD, an epidemiologist at Moffitt Cancer Center. “It’s estimated to account for more than 5% of cancer diagnoses.”
Kathleen Egan, ScD
The study used data from the Global Burden of Disease database to analyze mortality rates attributable to heavy alcohol use. Researchers evaluated the mortality rates for all cancers combined, as well as esophageal, liver, throat, breast, laryngeal (voice box), colorectal and mouth cancers.
“About 75,000 Americans each year are diagnosed with cancer that is linked in some way to alcohol use. The more someone drinks both in volume and frequency, the higher the risk,” Egan said. “When we drink, our bodies break down alcohol into acetaldehyde, a known carcinogen that can damage DNA. That damaged DNA can create mutations that can cause cancer.”
The International Agency on Cancer Research classified alcohol as a carcinogen in 1987. Last fall, a new report from the American Association for Cancer Research found 40% of all cancers in the U.S. are associated with modifiable risk factors, including alcohol.
In January, the U.S. Surgeon General released a new advisory outlining how drinking alcohol increases a person’s cancer risk and recommended all alcohol products come with a cancer warning label, like what you find on a pack of cigarettes.
This latest study found Washington, D.C., had the highest alcohol-associated cancer mortality rates, followed by Texas and New Hampshire. Utah had the lowest mortality rates. Researchers say the findings highlight the critical need for targeted prevention efforts, public health policies and increased awareness to address the rising impact of alcohol consumption on cancer-related deaths.
