How Alcohol Consumption Increases Cancer Risk: What You Need to Know?

03/08/2025

Alcohol comes as a poison that kills your body slowly over time. You may find it interesting as it helps you to escape from the reality for the time being. However, in the long term, it becomes your biggest enemy that just wants to take over your health and kill you. Therefore, looking after your alcohol choices can help you prevent your health from deteriorating. 

The number of opportunities to drink is higher than the number of opportunities to keep your health in check. You can go for mimosas at brunch, wine at happy hour, and a nightcap right before hitting the sack, which shows the increased number of opportunities to drink alcohol. You are always short on time when it comes to keeping your health in the right order by eating healthy, hitting the gym, and cutting back on bad habits.

What types of cancer does alcohol cause?

As mentioned above, consuming alcohol increases your risk of developing certain cancers, irrespective of the type of alcohol you opt for. The following are the cancers that you are prone to develop due to consuming alcohol: 

• Oral cancer

• Pharynx and larynx cancers

• Liver cancer

• Stomach cancer

• Breast cancer

• Esophageal cancer

• Colorectal cancer

In many countries, such as the US and UK, one of the common cancers is breast cancer, which is responsible for eating millions of lives every year. One of the most prominent risk factors for breast cancer is drinking alcohol. As per statistics, 1 out of 10 breast cancer cases is a result of alcohol consumption. You can mitigate your chances of developing cancer by opting for an alcohol-free life. Although drinking alcohol is not the sole factor that causes cancer, other factors such as family history, certain medications, hormone replacement therapy, and smoking can lead to this type of cancer. If you align with one or more risk factors, you should get in touch with your healthcare provider to calculate your overall risk and ways to mitigate it.

The data extracted from the CDC’s data visualization tool on Alcohol-related cancer in the US says: 

• The number of alcohol-related cancer cases that occurred was more than 522,000 in the United States in the year 2021.

• Out of all alcohol-associated cancers, breast cancer is one of the most common in women.

• On the other hand, the most common alcohol-associated cancer was colorectal cancer in men.

• The highest number of alcohol-related cancers occur in people aged 50 years and above.

How does drinking alcohol elevate your chances of developing cancer? 

The consumption of alcohol puts you at an increased risk of developing six types of cancer in many ways. When you consume alcohol, it leads to several chemical processes in the body, which elevate your probability of coming across one or many types of below-listed cancer. Let’s explore how drinking alcohol takes up your chances of developing cancer:

Acetaldehyde:

All alcoholic beverages come with one common ingredient, i.e., ethanol. When you drink alcohol, the body functions to break down ethanol, which, as a result, becomes acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is a carcinogen which can cause cancer.  Acetaldehyde is known to damage DNA and inhibit cells from repairing the damage. This process can lead to cancerous cells to grow and multiply.

Hormonal imbalance:

The consumption of alcohol in the body can interfere with the levels of estrogen. Increased levels of estrogen in the body function as messengers that notify our cells to grow and multiply at an increased pace. The higher the speed of cell multiplication in the body, the higher your chances of developing cancer.

Less nutrient absorption:

Another harmful effect of consuming alcohol is that it makes it challenging for the body to absorb and use nutrients that are effective in keeping it safe from cancer. The following protect the body from cancer: folate, iron, selenium, vitamins A, B1, B6, C, D, E, and K. Aforementioned are a few vitamins and minerals that encourage immunity and contribute to many benefits such as reducing inflammation and safeguarding cells from oxidative damage. 

Weight gain:

Alcohol beverages contain excess calories, which can greatly lead to weight gain.  Being overweight or obese can elevate your likelihood of developing more than 12 types of cancer.

Elevate the chances of tobacco-related cancers:

Drinking and smoking together make you more likely to develop certain cancers, such as oral and throat cancer. Consumption of alcohol causes the cells to be more sensitive to other substances, resulting in cancer.

Is drinking in moderation also harmful?

No matter how much you drink, alcohol consumption results in a wide range of problems. For example, if you are a binge drinker, your chances of health risks such as accidents and alcohol injury are higher. Along with it, it also makes you prone to developing certain cancers, as mentioned above. 

There is a myth among people that drinking in moderation is good for your heart health. However, this is not true, and many studies have proven it. Therefore, cutting back on it is the only solution to keep your health in check.

How can you lessen your risk of developing cancer?

There are many ways that can be opted to lower the risk of developing cancer due to alcohol consumption. Follow the below-listed guidelines:

• Avoid drinking beverages containing alcohol. It may be easier said than done. However, cutting back on it slowly and steadily will help you.

• Limit your daily consumption to prevent unwanted outcomes. If you are a man, don’t take more than two drinks per day, and if you are a woman, don’t take more than one drink per day.

• Stay away from binge drinking. Binge drinking increases your risk of developing cancer and also makes you prone to several other problems.

• If you have high alcohol dependency and are not able to cut back on it on your own, seek professional help. They can help you mitigate your drinking habits by evaluating your drinking patterns and other factors.

Conclusion

In order to mitigate your risk of developing cancer and other health problems, limiting or quitting alcohol is the best solution. As per CDC guidelines, men should not drink more than two drinks a day, and women shouldn’t aim for more than one drink a day. Not drinking alcohol will provide uncountable benefits such as improved heart health, reduced weight, and better sleep, to name a few.

FAQs:

1. How does alcohol increase cancer risk?

One common ingredient found in all alcoholic drinks is ethanol. The body breaks down ethanol in acetaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen. Acetaldehyde holds the potential to destroy DNA and stop cells from repairing the damage. As a result, this process may cause the cancerous cells to develop and multiply.

2. What happens to your body when you drink alcohol every day?

The consumption of alcohol among all age groups has increased drastically over the years and has become the resort for dealing with day-to-day troubles. However, drinking alcohol, irrespective of the type, expands your risk of coming across a wide range of cancers. You may come across the following problems with the habit of daily drinking:

• Weight gain

• Digestive problems

• Liver problems

• Increased risk of several cancers

• Hormonal imbalances

• Less nutrient absorption

3. What is the 20-minute rule for alcohol?

The best way to keep your alcohol consumption within the limit is to follow the 20-minute rule. In this approach, you have to opt for a 20-minute break once you have finished one drink.

4. What are the 7 cancers linked to alcohol?

Drinking alcohol puts you at an increased risk of developing the following cancers:

• Oral cancer

• Pharynx and larynx cancers

• Liver cancer

• Stomach cancer

• Breast cancer

• Esophageal cancer

• Colorectal cancer