Surgeon General Calls for Cancer Warning Labels on Alcohol Products: What You Should Know About Alcohol and Cancer Risk

The United States Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, released a new advisory outlining how drinking alcohol increases a person’s cancer risk. Murthy is now recommending that alcohol products come with cancer warning labels, like what you can find on a pack of cigarettes. 

The advisory emphasizes that alcohol is a known cause of several types of cancer and encourages greater public awareness of its health risks. 

The advisory states alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity. Additionally, it highlights that alcohol consumption contributes to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year.  

Kathleen Egan, ScD

How Does Alcohol Increase Cancer Risk? 

Alcohol can increase cancer risk by damaging DNA and other cells in the body, creating conditions that may lead to cancer development. 

“Alcohol is an established carcinogen that contributes to several different cancers in human beings,” said Kathleen Egan, ScD, an epidemiologist at Moffitt Cancer Center. “It’s estimated to account for more than 5% of cancer diagnoses.” 

According to another report from the American Association for Cancer Research, excessive levels of alcohol consumption increase the risk of certain types of: 

• Head and neck cancers
• Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
• Breast cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Liver cancer
• Stomach cancer

Alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde, a chemical compound that can damage DNA. When DNA is damaged, cells can grow uncontrollably, creating cancerous growths. Alcohol also generates reactive oxygen species, unstable molecules containing oxygen that can damage DNA and proteins within the body.    

Is There a Safe Level of Alcohol Consumption? 

While the amount of risk varies, any alcohol consumption may increase cancer risk. Limiting alcohol intake can help reduce that risk. 

“Safe levels are debated,” Egan said. “While any level of consumption will contribute some risk, keeping intake to below one drink per day in women and two drinks per day in men will keep that excess risk to a minimum. However, if you have a history of smoking, the excess risk is higher for some cancers. Therefore, smokers in particular should consider limiting exposure.” 

Understanding the connection between alcohol and cancer can help people make informed decisions about their health. While not everyone who drinks alcohol will develop cancer, reducing alcohol consumption is one way to lower the risk of several preventable cancers. People with additional risk factors, such as a history of smoking, may benefit from discussing their individual cancer risk with a health care provider.