Is Alcohol Consumption Correlated with Higher Rates of Cancer? Sammy Draper ‘14 and Amara Weiss ’14 Environmental Studies Department, Colby College, Waterville, Maine Cancer Statistics “Cancer is the leading cause of death in economically developed countries and the second leading cause of death in developing countries.” 5 In 2008, there were 7.6 million global deaths directly attributed to cancer worldwide. 1 A “significant proportion” of cancer deaths are attributed to environmental exposure or hazard. 1 Alcohol is an external variable that has been linked to multiple types of cancer worldwide. 1 Because cancers linked to alcohol consumption are also cancers that are deemed most threatening on a global scale, 1 research on the correlation between alcohol consumption and cancer rates is pertinent and necessary. One such example is breast cancer. 1 In 1988, the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen to humans. 2 Alcohol consumption accounts for about 4% of all deaths worldwide. 3 In the United States, alcohol consumption is responsible for 3.2% to 3.7% of all cancer deaths (estimated 18,200 to 21,300 cancer deaths). 3 Cancer risk greatly increases with increased levels of consumption. 3 There is no level of alcohol consumption that is considered safe. 3 Cancer Strongly Correlated with Alcohol Consumption Cancer has been linked to breast cancer and bowel cancer, which are the “2 most common neoplasms in developed countries after lung cancer,” according to a meta-analysis study by Bagnardi et al. 4 56% to 66% of alcohol-attributable cancer deaths are from breast cancer. 3 There is a probable causal relationship between alcohol and cancers of the mouth and oral pharynx, larynx and esophagus. 5 A 2011 paper published by the American Cancer Society states “smoking and excessive alcohol consumption account for about 90% of the total cases of squamous cell carcinoma [cancer] of the esophagus.” 1 The consumption of alcohol has been recorded as a cause of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and cancer of the oral cavity. 1 In fact, 16% of global oral cancer deaths are attributed to “heavy alcohol consumption.” 1 In developed nations, this number has climbed to 30%. 1 More research must be done to fully understand the risks alcohol consumption poses to human health, 4 especially as a carcinogen. 6 Policy Regarding Alcohol In order to reduce cancer risk from alcohol use, the public needs to be more informed that alcohol is a known human carcinogen. Current Regulation The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives mandates that “Alcoholic beverages sold or distributed in the U.S, or to members of the Armed Forces outside the U.S. must contain a specified health- warning label.” 8 The U.S. mandates a government warning addressing pregnant women and those operating heavy machinery. “May cause health problems” is the only, vague reference to alcohol’s harmful effects. Sources Jemal, Ahmedin, Freddie Bray, Melissa M. Center, Jaques Ferlay, Elizabeth Ward, and David Forman. "Global Cancer Statistics." Wiley Online Library 61 (2011): Wiley Online Library. Web. 13 Apr Lachenmeier, Dirk W. "Carcinogens in Food: Opportunities and Challenges for Regulatory Toxicology." The Open Toxicology Journal 3 (2009): Print. Nelson, David E., et al. "Alcohol-Attributable Cancer Deaths And Years Of Potential Life Lost In The United States." American Journal Of Public Health (2013): Environment Complete. Web. 14 Apr Chen, Wendy Y., Bernard Rossner, Susan E. Hankinson, Graham A. Colditz, and Walter C. Willett. "Moderate Alcohol Consumption During Adult Life, Drinking Patterns, and Breast Cancer Risk." The Journal of the American Medical Association (2011): n. pag. JAMA Network. Web. 13 Apr Thomas, David B. "Alcohol As A Cause Of Cancer." Environmental Health Perspectives Supplements 103.(1995): 153. Environment Complete. Web. 14 Apr Benassi-Evans, Bianca, and Michael Fenech. "Chronic Alcohol Exposure Induces Genome Damage Measured Using The Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus Cytome Assay And Aneuploidy In Human B Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines." Mutagenesis 26.3 (2011): Environment Complete. Web. 14 Apr Chen, Wendy Y., Bernard Rossner, Susan E. Hankinson, Graham A. Colditz, and Walter C. Willett. "Moderate Alcohol Consumption During Adult Life, Drinking Patterns, and Breast Cancer Risk." The Journal of the American Medical Association (2011): n. pag. JAMA Network. Web. 13 Apr Thomas, Gerald, et al. "The effectiveness of alcohol warning labels in the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A brief review." International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research: Print. Boffetta, Paolo, and Mia Hashibe. "Alcohol and Cancer." The Lancet Oncology 7.2 (2006): Science Direct. Web. 13 Apr Case Study:Breast Cancer Chen et al. (2011) found a statistically significant correlation between alcohol consumption and breast cancer, even at low levels of consumption. 7 An average of 3-6 drinks per week is linked to higher levels of breast cancer in their sample population. 7 In a sample size of 121,700 women, high levels of alcohol consumption, which the authors call binge drinking, is also correlated with breast cancer levels. 7 “Frequency of drinking” is not correlated with breast cancer levels, according to this study. 7 Only the amount of alcohol an individual consumes can be linked, and it appears that any level of any type of alcohol consumed in a week will correspond to a higher incidence of breast cancer in test subjects. 7 The most significant link to breast cancer and consumption behavior is found in regular drinking over the course of a woman’s life. 7 Daily Consumption of Drinks Linked to % Cancer Deaths 26-35% 14-17% 48-60% Figure 1 3 Conclusions and Recommendations Stronger messages from medical and public health organizations are necessary warning that “(1) alcohol is a known human carcinogen, (2) cancer risk increases considerably at high consumption levels but there is no safe level at which there is no cancer risk, and (3) alcohol use should be lowered or avoided to reduce cancer risk.” 3 With this increased awareness, individuals can make personal decisions to reduce risk of developing cancer due to alcohol consumption.