Is There a Link Between Alcohol and Cancer?

Don't shoot the messenger, but yes.

A new headline linking alcohol consumption to cancer got my attention the other day–not because of the connection being highlighted...but because it was one more headline. It's getting harder not to pay attention.

Earlier this year, when the subject was getting traction, I mentioned it while giving a health talk to a women's group. I prefaced the topic by telling folks to consider it a public service announcement–nothing personal. The shock and despair were palpable. For many, alcohol is a part of life, woven into welcomes, social gatherings, dinners, picnics, holidays, and sometimes, the end of a long day.

Over the years, the advice has fluttered and flip-flopped. It's ok. It's not ok—your age, the type of alcohol, how many drinks a day, a week...the warnings about the impact on our health weren't consistent and concerns seem to have been assuaged by the moving mark. And so, we keep bending the elbow.

But link alcohol to cancer? Specific cancers. You've got my attention.

A New York Times headline warned that virtually any amount of alcohol increased the risk of cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) said that "after thoroughly reviewing studies from around the world, AICR research shows that alcohol increases the risk of six cancers: colorectal, breast, esophageal, liver, stomach and oral (technically mouth, larynx, and pharynx cancers)."

The National Cancer Institute reports, "There is a strong scientific consensus that alcohol drinking can cause several types of cancer. In its Report on Carcinogens, the National Toxicology Program of the US Department of Health and Human Services lists the consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen. The evidence indicates that the more alcohol a person drinks—particularly the more alcohol a person drinks regularly over time—the higher his or her risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer."

Some folks would rather not know. So I'm sorry, but now you know. If this is news to you, what you do with the information is up to you. Do your own research. Decide your own risk level. But do take notice. Sadly, I know friends and family members who currently have–or who've died from every one of those cancers. Did alcohol contribute? I'll never know. But I will spread the word.

On the bright side, alcohol-free beer, wine, and spirits are plentiful and getting better every day. It's like vegan cheese in the early days...it's come a long way, baby!