Reduce your alcohol intake to lower your cancer risk

Cutting back on alcohol lowers your cancer risk. A JAMA study looked at more than four million adults. Cancer risk rose mainly in heavy drinkers. After a year or more without alcohol, it fell close to the level of non-drinkers.

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Summary: Drinking too much, or alcohol use disorder, is tied to more deaths, mainly in young adults. People know alcohol raises the risk of liver disease, pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas) and car crashes. But people do not realize that AUD may also raise cancer risk considerably. The good news is that new studies show quitting alcohol may help bring this higher cancer risk down.

It is no secret that most adults in the US drink alcohol. But some get addicted. A few, about 5% of drinkers, start drinking far too much. Some of these heavy drinkers often binge drink. These are people living with alcohol addiction, or alcohol use disorder (AUD).

People know some of the risks of AUD. It raises the risk of car crashes and other accidents. It can bring unusual aggression and the injuries that come with it. AUD can also damage the liver and kidneys. It is tied to a greater risk of pancreatitis. Alcohol addiction is one of the leading causes of death in young adults.

But many people do not realize that alcohol also raises the risk of many types of cancer. For some types, alcohol may raise the risk by 30% or even more.

Studies in the US show that heavy drinking may raise cancer risk by anywhere from 3-8%. On average, heavy drinking adds to about 5% of cancer cases. That 5% may not sound like much. But cancer is one of the top five causes of early death in the US. That means alcohol accounts for 75,000 cancer cases each year. It causes more than 18,000 deaths.

Here is the key point. Statistics say alcohol use disorder kills 140,000 people each year. Those numbers do not count deaths from cancer caused by AUD. So AUD kills far more people than the numbers show.

Studies also suggest that AUD drives some cancers far more than others. It is one of the leading causes of mouth (oral cavity) cancers in the US. It also adds a lot to the risk of breast, colon, rectal and liver cancers.

But there is good news too. One of the largest studies to date shows this risk can be cut significantly. This new study also shows the higher cancer risk shows up mainly in heavy drinkers, people who drink alcohol regularly.

The new study was published in the journal JAMA. Researchers studied data on more than four million adults. They followed them for more than six years.

The study found that light drinking did not raise cancer risk much. Cancer risk rose significantly only in heavy drinkers or people living with AUD.

The study had many other hopeful findings. Quitting drinking seems to lower cancer risk. After someone stops abusing alcohol, cancer risk stays high for a while. But after some time without alcohol, like a year or more, cancer risk drops significantly. So people who quit or drink only small amounts have a lower cancer risk. Their risk is almost the same as non-drinkers.

Keep in mind that about six years of follow-up is not long when it comes to cancer risk from AUD. So the real risk may be much higher. Most people living with AUD keep abusing alcohol for years or even decades. Another limit of this study is that it was done in Asians.

Despite some limits, this study points to one very important and often ignored fact. AUD is also tied to higher cancer risk. And drinking less seems to lower cancer risk too.

Frequently asked questions

Does drinking alcohol increase your risk of cancer?

Yes. Heavy drinking raises the risk of several cancers. For some types, the risk climbs by 30% or more. On average, heavy drinking adds to about 5% of cancer cases in the US. That is about 75,000 cases and more than 18,000 deaths each year. Those deaths are not counted in the usual totals for alcohol use disorder.

What types of cancer are linked to alcohol?

Alcohol use disorder is one of the leading causes of cancers of the mouth, or oral cavity, in the US. It also adds a lot to the risk of breast, colon, rectal and liver cancer. The more heavily and often a person drinks, the more that risk builds.

Does light drinking raise cancer risk?

Not by much, says the JAMA study. It followed more than four million adults for more than six years. Light drinking did not raise cancer risk much. The risk rose significantly only in heavy drinkers and in people living with alcohol use disorder. That is why cutting back matters most for them.

How long after you quit drinking does cancer risk go down?

Cancer risk stays high for a while after someone stops drinking heavily. After a year or more without alcohol, the risk drops significantly. The JAMA study looked at people who quit or cut down to small amounts. Their cancer risk ended up close to people who never drank.