In the news, you’ll often see conflicting stories on the links between alcohol and cancer. Some say a little bit of drinking is beneficial to your health. Others say that any amount will harm you. So which is it? The truth is clearer than a gin and tonic.
All the best available evidence (for which there is a lot) tells us that drinking alcohol causes seven types of cancer.
It doesn’t matter what you drink and it doesn’t matter how you drink it. Alcohol is a carcinogen. Alcohol causes cancer. And the more you drink, the higher your risk.
The seven types of cancer that alcohol can cause are:
- Mouth cancer
- Upper throat cancer (pharyngeal)
- Oesophageal cancer
- Voice box cancer (laryngeal)
- Breast cancer
- Bowel cancer
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Liver cancer
How does alcohol cause cancer?
There’s a pattern in the seven types of cancer caused by cancer. Mouth, throat, oesophageal and voice box are all areas that encounter alcohol when you drink it. Some cells in these areas can turn alcohol into a chemical called acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde can cause cancer by damaging DNA and causing genetic mutations that lead to cancer developing. Acetaldehyde is also abundant in tobacco smoke.
Your liver breaks down and detoxifies chemicals. When you drink alcohol, your liver works to break it down. This produces toxic molecules, including acetaldehyde. These molecules can damage the DNA of liver cells and cause them to become cancer.
Alcohol can also cause an imbalance in the levels of certain hormones in our body. In particular, alcohol can increase the levels the hormones oestrogen and insulin. Both hormones can contribute to cancer because they are able to make cells grow and divide. Oestrogen exerts a powerful effect in breast tissue, which explain why alcohol increases a person’s risk of breast cancer.
The benefits of reducing your alcohol intake include:
- Lowering your risk of seven different cancers
- Aiding deeper sleep so you have more energy
- Helping to maintain a healthy weight
And remember, while the evidence shows that cutting down at any level will have a benefit, the biggest impact you can have on your cancer risk, is not drinking alcohol at all.
Your alcohol and cancer FAQs:
We answer some of your most frequently asked questions about alcohol and cancer.
What is a carcinogen?
A carcinogen is any substance or agent that can cause cancer. This includes chemicals including asbestos, tobacco and alcohol, biological agents including certain viruses and physical agents such as UV rays.
Researchers are interested in how carcinogens cause cancer. The more we can understand about them the more we can prevent and cure cancer.
Can you get cancer from drinking alcohol?
You can’t ‘catch’ cancer from drinking alcohol. But drinking alcohol – any type of alcohol – will increase your risk of developing seven different types of cancer.
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