How much alcohol is too much? Surgeon General Addresses Cancer Risk

On January 4, 2025By Littum

Cancer warnings similar to those seen on cigarette packs may soon be coming to alcohol cans and bottles.

On Friday, the US Surgeon General released Dr. Vivek Murthy a new consultancy that outlines the direct link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk. In it, he urged Congress with a series of recommendations, including updating the existing Surgeon General’s health warning label on alcoholic beverages.

“While scientific evidence for this connection has grown over the past four decades, less than half of Americans recognize it as a risk factor for cancer,” Murthy’s office said in a statement. “This advice outlines steps we can all take to raise awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”

The cited report seven different types of cancer that are most often linked to alcohol consumption, as well as data that measure intake amount and frequency against lifetime cancer risk. The results may not be the news even casual drinkers want to hear, but they paint a clearer picture of where the biggest risks lie.

Should you go cold turkey, or is one or two drinks a week okay? How about one or two a day? How much can you safely drink without significantly increasing your risk of cancer? Here’s what we know.

How many drinks is safe?

As with carcinogens, no amount is technically “safe” to consume, although the common sense theory of “less is better” still applies.

Results of global studies spanning several decades, referenced in the Surgeon General’s advice, showed that just one drink of any kind a day can increase the risk of certain cancers from 10 to 40%.

The advisory also cited a study shows the connection between alcohol-related cancer risk and increased alcohol intake:

Less than one drink a week: 16.5% absolute risk of cancer among women, 10% among men
One drink a day: 19.0% absolute risk of cancer among women, 11.4% among men
Two drinks a day: 21.8% absolute risk of cancer among women, 13.1% among men

“Unfortunately there isn’t really a safe amount of alcohol consumption, we would really say drink as little as possible and if you can abstain completely that would be best.” Dr. Suneel Kamath, a medical oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic told USA TODAY.

Previous cut-offs recommended by health authorities, such as seven drinks a week for women and 14 for men, have been debunked, he said, along with previously speculated benefits, such as those thought to come from red wine.

Still, three drinks a week is probably still safer than seven, for example.

“We know it’s a dose-response relationship, so every drink you have a day or a week is going to be an increased risk for many different types of cancer. The more you have, the higher the risk,” he said. “If you think about the risk overall, if you only have one drink a week, it’s probably a very small increase (in cancer). Out of 1,000 people, you might see one extra case of cancer, but it’s hard to know, which person it would be.”

Studies have shown that consumption patterns also matter, according to Kamath. Someone who sticks to four drinks a week is better off having one a night spread over four days, as opposed to drinking all four at once, he said.

“One to two per week territory is unlikely to have a significant impact on cancer risk or other negative effects of alcohol,” he said. “But be aware that alcohol is a carcinogen and try to limit intake as much as possible.”

What cancers have been linked to alcohol?

Large and numerous warnings about the highly carcinogenic nature of tobacco products have been a staple of gas stations and convenience stores across the United States since the 1960s. While tobacco may be the substance more likely to directly cause the disease, alcohol opens the body up to a wider range of cancers.

“The amount (that alcohol) increases the risk of individual cancers is not as high as tobacco, but the breadth of cancers it can increase the risk of is wider,” Kamath said, adding that it is “probably 15 to 20 kinds cancer. you are at increased risk of.”

“Remember that alcohol is not only a problem with the liver, that it also definitely causes a significant risk of other cancers, primarily of the gastrointestinal tract, breast cancer and several others.”

Kamath also mentioned cancers of the head, neck, liver, breast, colon, tongue and throat as being more common among alcoholics.

The new alcohol warning advised by Murthy urges Congress to update product labels to inform consumers about increased risk of cancer of the breast, colon, pharynx, liver, voice box, esophagus and mouth.

How does alcohol cause cancer?

According to the adviceAlcohol consumption can cause cancer through four primary mechanisms.

First, alcohol is broken down into acetaldehyde in the body. Acetaldehyde is ametabolite (or the end result of metabolism) that causes cancer by binding to DNA and damaging it. When DNA is damaged, a cell can begin to grow uncontrollably and create a cancerous tumor.
Second, alcohol generates reactive oxygen species, which increase inflammation and can damage DNA, proteins, and lipids in the body through a process called oxidation. This also increases inflammation.
Third, alcohol alters hormone levels (including estrogen), which may play a role in the development of breast cancer.
Fourth, carcinogens from other sources, especially particles of tobacco smoke, can dissolve in alcohol, making it easier for them to be absorbed into the body, increasing the risk of mouth and throat cancer.

How to reduce your cancer risk related to alcohol

Of course, the simplest answer to reducing your cancer risk associated with alcohol is to abstain altogether. However, experts like Kamath understand that the all-encompassing approach may not appeal to many.

If you are unable to avoid it completely, it is ideal to limit alcohol intake of any kind. When drinking, avoid drinking or consuming large amounts in a short time and do not smoke tobacco or expose yourself to other carcinogens at the same time.

On the regulatory side of things, Congress had been asked to add new labeling to alcohol products, reevaluate consumption recommendations, and increase screening programs.

On the individual side, Kamath suggests that instead of reaching for a stiff drink, grab one of the many alcohol-free or alcohol-removed drink alternatives that have become popular in recent years.

“Try them,” he said. “Because any way you can replace alcohol in your lifestyle matters.”

Cast: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY