Drinking alcohol raises your risk of getting several kinds of cancer:
This Advisory describes the scientific evidence for the causal link between alcohol consumption and increased risk for at least seven different types of cancer, including breast (in women), colorectum, esophagus, voice box, liver, mouth, and throat.
1. Alcohol. Research has proven a consistent causal relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer, specifically in the head and neck, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast tissue.
Long-term alcohol use has been linked to an increased risk of liver cancer. Regular, heavy alcohol use can damage your liver, leading to inflammation and scarring and raising your risk of liver cancer. Alcohol use is linked to a higher risk of cancers of the colon and rectum.
Breast cancer is the most common alcohol-associated cancer among women. Colorectal cancer is the most common alcohol-associated cancer among men.
Only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle.
Here are the 10 most common causes of cancer, in no particular order.
Drinking too much alcohol on a single occasion or over time can cause health problems, including:
The Takeaway
Organs known to be damaged by long-term alcohol misuse include the brain and nervous system, heart, liver and pancreas.
Excessive alcohol use can lead to: High blood pressure. Heart disease. Liver disease.
One option is to follow the 20-minute rule—taking a 20-minute break after you've finished one drink before buying or consuming the next one.
10 Cancer-Fighting Foods You Should Be Eating
There aren't many foods that are proven to cause cancer. But, processed and red meat are linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer. And drinking alcohol increases the risk of 7 types of cancer, including bowel and breast cancer. Below we look at some common myths about foods causing cancer.
The 10 deadliest cancers, and why there's no cure
Heavy drinking includes binge drinking and has been defined for women as 4 or more drinks on any day or 8 or more per week, and for men as 5 or more drinks on any day or 15 or more per week.
Is a bottle of wine a day too much? The honest answer is 'yes'. UK Chief Medical Officers advise that both men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread over three or more days. They also say that women should have no more than one a day.
Nearly half have experienced clinical depression, and 20% have had bipolar disorder. Most are smokers, and nearly one in five have issues with cocaine and marijuana use. Only 25% have sought treatment for their drinking problems.
Warning signs to get checked out
There is now convincing scientific evidence that eating processed meat increases bowel cancer risk. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) recommends that people avoid eating processed meat. Processed meats include any meat that has been preserved by curing, salting or smoking, or by adding chemical preservatives.
“There are several important clues for potential causes for increase in early-onset cancers. … Many lifestyle factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, diet, and some environmental factors such as air pollution have changed since 1940 to 1950.”
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers thanks to the HPV vaccine. HPV, or the human papillomavirus, causes 99% of all cervical cancers. The HPV vaccine, which is given in 2 doses, targets 9 different types of the virus.
General risk factors
Age – the risk of developing cancer increases as you get older. Lifestyle factors – these include smoking, your weight, your diet, how active you are, sun exposure and sunbed use, and how much alcohol you drink. You can read more about how to reduce your risk below.
Lung and bronchus, colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers are responsible for nearly 50% of all deaths.
Of all the included foods, a beef hotdog in a bun was associated with the greatest loss of life per serving (−36 minutes), whereas a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich was associated with the greatest extension of life per serving (+33 minutes).