US surgeon general calls for cancer warnings on alcohol
The U.S. surgeon general is calling for increased warnings about the direct link between alcohol and cancer risks, citing studies that show alcohol raises the risk for at least seven types of cancer.
In an advisory issued Thursday, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says alcohol consumption is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., after tobacco and obesity.
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"While scientific evidence for this connection has been growing over the past four decades, less than half of Americans recognize it as a risk factor for cancer," Murthy said.
Alcohol and cancer risks
FILE - A new warning from the US surgeon general aims to highlight the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
According to a September report from the American Association for Cancer Research, alcohol acts as a carcinogen, damaging cells and leading to mutations that can evolve into cancer.
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The surgeon general’s advisory says alcohol causes about 100,000 cancer cases in the U.S. each year – and about 20,000 cancer deaths. That’s more than the 13,500 traffic fatalities linked to alcohol each year, Murthy says.
Studies have shown that alcohol increases the risk for at least seven types of cancer, including:
- Breast
- Colorectum
- Esophagus
- Liver
- Mouth
- Throat
- Voice box
The increased cancer risks are linked to all types of alcohol.
Murthy says 16.4% of all breast cancer cases in the U.S. are caused by alcohol, and evidence shows the cancer risk increases even if you have one or fewer drinks per day.
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"An individual's risk of developing cancer due to alcohol consumption is determined by a complex interaction of biological, environmental, social, and economic factors," the warning states.
Will alcohol get new labels?
The new advisory from the surgeon general recommends updating the health warning label on alcoholic beverages to increase awareness and help to minimize alcohol-related cancer cases.
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It also calls for a review of the guidelines for alcohol consumption to account for cancer risk, as well as expanded efforts to educate the public about the correlation.