For which types of cancer does alcohol increase the risk?
Almost everyone knows about the link between smoking and cancer, but few people realize that alcohol is also a powerful carcinogen. According to a study by the American Cancer Society, alcohol contributes to more than 75,000 cases of cancer per year and nearly 19,000 cancer deaths.
Alcohol is known to be a direct cause of seven different cancers: cancers of the head and neck (oral cavity, pharynx and larynx), cancer of the esophagus, cancer of the liver, cancer of the breast and colorectal cancer. Research suggests there may be a link between alcohol and other cancers, including prostate and pancreatic cancer, although the evidence is less clear.
For some cancers, such as liver and colon, the risk only begins when people drink excessively. But for breast and esophageal cancer, the risk increases, albeit slightly, with any alcohol consumption. The more a person drinks, the greater the risk.
“If someone drinks less, they are at lower risk than someone who is a heavy drinker,” said Dr. Farhad Islami, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society. “Even two drinks a day, one drink a day, may be associated with a lower risk of cancer compared to non-drinkers.”
Which condition poses the greatest risk?
The most common individual cause of alcohol-related death in the United States is alcoholic liver disease, killing approximately 22,000 people a year. While the risk increases as people age and exposure to alcohol accumulates, more than 5,000 Americans in their 20s, 30s and 40s die each year from alcoholic liver disease.
Alcoholic liver disease has three stages: alcoholic fatty liver disease, when fat builds up in the organ; alcoholic hepatitis, when inflammation begins to occur; and alcoholic cirrhosis, or tissue scarring. The first two stages are reversible if you completely stop drinking; the third step is not.
Symptoms of alcoholic liver disease include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and jaundice – a yellow tinge to the eyes or skin. However, symptoms rarely appear until the liver has been severely damaged.