Alcohol-linked cancer deaths in the US have more than doubled over three decades, with estimates showing an increase from 11,361 a year to 23,126. The rise came even as overall cancer death rates fell, according to new research published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.

Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including bowel cancer and breast cancer in women, the World Health Organization says. It sits in the highest evidence category for cancer-causing substances, alongside asbestos, radiation and tobacco.

It does not take heavy drinking to face that danger. About one standard drink a day is enough to raise the risk, said the study's first author, Dr Chinmay Jani.

'The percentage of cancer deaths proportionally attributable to alcohol doubled,' said Jani, a haematology and oncology fellow. The finding was based on 33 years of US data covering adults aged 20 and over.

Why One Daily Drink Counts

Women who have one drink a day face a higher breast cancer risk than those who have less than one a week, according to the National Cancer Institute. Risk rises further in heavy and binge drinkers.

Half of all alcohol-attributable cancers in the WHO European Region are caused by light and moderate drinking, according to its data. The same pattern accounts for most alcohol-linked breast cancers there.

There is no known cut-off point below which drinking is safe. Evidence cannot show a level at which the cancer-causing effects of alcohol switch on, so any amount carries a risk.

How Alcohol Harms the Body

The liver breaks alcohol down into acetaldehyde, a probable cancer-causing chemical. Acetaldehyde can damage DNA and interfere with DNA repair before the body clears it.

Alcohol also drives oxidative stress, which harms DNA, proteins and cell function and creates inflammation. It raises oestrogen levels as well, a key reason drinking is tied to breast cancer.

Drinking weakens the cells in the mouth and throat, leaving them open to other cancer-causing chemicals. That damage is worse in smokers, since cigarette smoke is a major source of acetaldehyde.

Which Cancers Are Most Affected

The study tied alcohol to deaths from breast, prostate, colon, rectum, stomach, pancreatic and liver cancers, as well as head and neck tumours. Alcohol-related cancer death rates in men aged 55 and over climbed by nearly 24 per cent.

Among adults aged 20 to 54, bowel cancer was the leading alcohol-attributable cancer killer in men and the second in women. Breast cancer topped the list for younger women, the research found.

Up to a quarter of head and neck cancers have alcohol as a risk factor, and Jani said those could be prevented. The tumours affect the lip, mouth, throat and voice box, with oesophageal cancer also linked.

What the Wine Research Shows

Wine is often treated as the exception, and a typical glass counts as one standard drink. One research review found no association between wine drinking and the risk of developing any type of cancer.

Results varied widely across the studies that review covered. Other research has found no association between moderate red wine drinking and prostate or bowel cancer.

Cancer researchers say the harm comes from the alcohol itself, not the drink that carries it. Any beverage containing alcohol carries a risk, whatever its price or quality.

Stopping altogether can still pay off. Studies link it to lower risks of mouth and oesophageal cancers, and possibly throat, breast and bowel cancers, though the risk can take years to fall.

Jani said the study lacks the data to show people should stop drinking completely. His message is that 'lowering your alcohol use to the lowest possible level will be best for your health.'

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