Looking at the Link Between Alcohol Intake and Increased Cancer Risks
According to the National Cancer Institute, there is consensus among researchers that alcohol consumption can increase the risk of a person getting cancer. Heavy drinkers and binge drinkers are more susceptible than light drinkers who limit their consumption to one alcoholic drink per day. However, even light drinks have some increased risk of getting cancer.
Alcohol consumption has been linked to a number of different kinds of cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, some of the most common are:
- Head and neck
- Esophageal
- Liver
- Breast
- Colorectal
- Prostate and pancreatic
A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that “alcohol consumption resulted in an estimated 18,200 to 21,300 cancer deaths” in a single year. Females were most susceptible to alcohol-attributable breast cancer, while males were more likely to die from “upper airway and esophageal cancer.”
Researchers believe that decreasing alcohol consumption can help lower the risk of certain cancers although it may take years for the risk to decline.
Heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking has a number of known health risks. Cancer is only one of the many long-term effects of heavy drinking. It can also cause liver damage, depression, dementia, seizures and several other serious conditions. There is no safe amount of alcohol to consume but reducing the amount you drink can help save your life. Light to moderate drinkers, while still at risk for certain health conditions, may significantly lower their chances of getting alcohol-attributable cancer and other fatal health conditions.