Alcohol Increases the Risk of 6 Types of Cancer

Drinking too much alcohol is linked with an increased risk for six different types of cancer, according to a new national cancer progress report.

In 2019, about 1 out of every 19 cases of cancers were attributed to drinking alcohol yet more than 50 percent of Americans don’t know that alcohol can increase the risk of certain types of cancer, says Amy Comander, MD, medical director at Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham, Massachusetts.

“The message that alcohol consumption can increase cancer risk is important and one we need to amplify,” says Dr. Comander.

The new report from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) named alcohol use as the third biggest controllable risk factor for cancer, after smoking and obesity.

Drinking alcohol increases the risk for six different types of cancer: