In 2023, over 23,000 cases of deaths due to alcohol-related cancers have been recorded; this figure was around 11,000 in 1990. Researchers attribute this increase to the trend of alcohol consumption and its impact on various types of cancers.
Alcohol-Related Cancers
Deaths due to alcohol-related cancers are not limited to liver cancer. Researchers' findings indicate that colorectal cancer is the leading cause of deaths from alcohol-related cancers among men aged 20 to 54. In women of the same age group, breast cancer is considered the main cause of death from alcohol-related cancers, followed by colorectal cancer.
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Extent of Alcohol's Impact on Cancers
Dr. Chinmay Jani, the lead researcher of this study, stated in a statement: "The most astonishing finding was the extent of alcohol's potential impact on various types of cancer." Jani, who is a hematology and oncology fellow at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami, added: "While the link between alcohol and liver cancer is well known, its role in developing cancers such as colorectal, rectal, esophageal, breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancer is less recognized by the public."
For this study, researchers analyzed three decades of data that monitored the trends of alcohol consumption as a risk factor for various cancers. The results showed that the highest mortality rates from alcohol-related cancers were among men and adults aged 55 and older. Liver cancer accounted for the largest share of alcohol-related cancer deaths among older men, followed by esophageal and colorectal cancers.
Dr. Gilberto Lopez, a senior researcher and head of the medical oncology department at the Sylvester Cancer Center, stated: "What this study clearly shows is that the risk of alcohol-related cancer is not limited to one disease or a specific group of people." He added: "As physicians and cancer researchers, we have the opportunity to help patients understand that alcohol is a modifiable risk factor and that even small, conscious changes can be part of a broader strategy to reduce cancer risk in the community."
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