New study links alcohol to seven types of cancer

The highest risks were associated with the heaviest drinking, but drinkers with low to moderate consumption were also affected.

Alcohol “directly causes” seven forms of cancer, scientists out of New Zealand are warning in a new study that suggests drinking even low to moderate amounts is risky.

The evidence supports “a causal association of alcohol consumption” with cancer in the oropharynx (a part of the throat), the larynx, the esophagus, the liver, the colon, the rectum and the female breast, Connor wrote.

On the upside, Connor found some evidence that giving up alcohol could reverse the risk of some cancers, with better results the longer the subject abstained. Yet many people don’t know about the risks, a problem Connor partly attributed to the news of alcohol’s potential benefits.

According to the data, alcohol was responsible for 5.8 percent of cancer deaths in 2012, or around 500,000 people. She added the risks are reduced for some cancers when people stop drinking altogether.

“This raises the question of why alcohol affects some cancers and not others, and whether this undermines the conclusion that ‘alcohol causes cancer, ‘” they concede.

For editors: Connor J (2016) Alcohol consumption as a cause of cancer.

The research found that those who drank more than 50 grams of alcohol per day (approximately six bottles of beer or two-thirds of a bottle of wine) had a four to seven times greater risk of developing mouth, throat or oesophagus cancer, compared to those who didn’t drink.

Coun Moira Smith, South Tyneside Council’s lead member for area management and community safety, said: “The campaign provides an excellent opportunity for us all to think about our drinking habits and the amount of alcohol we consume on a weekly basis. And this review is a stark reminder that there’s strong evidence linking the two”.

If consumers quit drinking, the casual association tapers out, which props up their findings, the researchers say.

The UK’s chief medical officer recommends that, if you do drink, you limit yourself to 14 units of alcohol per week.

The WCRF has previously said that drinking three alcoholic drinks or more per day increases the risk of stomach cancer. Also try swapping every other alcoholic drink for a soft drink, choosing smaller servings or less alcoholic versions of drinks, and not keeping a stock of booze at home.