Alcohol-Related Cancer Deaths More Than Double

Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States have more than doubled over the past three decades, according to a new analysis that highlights the growing health consequences associated with drinking.

Researchers found that the number of annual cancer deaths attributed to alcohol increased from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023. The findings come from researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and were published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. The research used more than three decades of data from the Global Burden of Disease study.

The findings add to a growing body of scientific evidence showing that alcohol’s health effects extend well beyond liver disease.

Alcohol consumption has been associated with several forms of cancer, including cancers of the breast, colon, rectum, liver, stomach, pancreas, prostate and areas of the head and neck.

The researchers said the burden was particularly significant among older men, although increases were observed across many cancer types, age groups and regions.

What the New Study Found About Alcohol-Related Cancer Deaths

The central finding is striking: alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the United States increased by more than 100% between 1990 and 2023.

In 1990, researchers estimated that alcohol contributed to 11,361 cancer deaths. By 2023, that figure had risen to 23,126.

The study does not mean that every one of those cancer deaths was caused exclusively by alcohol. Instead, researchers used established epidemiological methods to estimate the portion of cancer mortality attributable to alcohol consumption.

That distinction is important because cancer usually develops through a combination of factors.

Age, genetics, tobacco use, diet, environmental exposures and other lifestyle factors can all influence a person’s risk. However, the evidence linking alcohol consumption to several cancers is strong enough that major health organizations recognize alcohol as a carcinogenic exposure.

The increase identified in the study therefore represents a significant public-health warning.

Alcohol Is Linked to Multiple Types of Cancer

For many years, public discussions about alcohol and cancer have focused heavily on liver cancer.

However, scientists now have extensive evidence that alcohol is associated with a much broader range of cancers.

The latest study identified alcohol-related mortality involving cancers including:

• Breast cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Liver cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Head and neck cancers

The U.S. Surgeon General has also concluded that alcohol increases the risk of several cancers, including cancers of the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box.

That means the potential consequences of drinking are not limited to people who consume very large amounts of alcohol.

For certain cancers, research has found that risk can begin increasing at relatively low levels of consumption.

Even Moderate Drinking Can Carry Risk

One of the most important messages from the research is that cancer risk is not necessarily limited to heavy drinkers.

The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on alcohol and cancer says evidence shows that the risk of some cancers can increase even at relatively low levels of consumption. For breast, mouth and throat cancers, the risk may begin increasing around one or fewer drinks per day.

The relationship between alcohol and cancer generally becomes stronger as consumption increases.

However, describing alcohol-related cancer risk only as a problem of heavy drinking can create a misleading impression.

Someone who drinks occasionally and someone who drinks heavily do not face the same level of risk. But the scientific evidence indicates that alcohol exposure can contribute to cancer risk even below levels traditionally associated with alcohol misuse.

This is one reason health authorities increasingly emphasize that there is no completely risk-free level of alcohol consumption when cancer prevention is the specific goal.

Why Alcohol Can Cause Cancer

Scientists have identified several biological mechanisms that help explain the connection between alcohol and cancer.

One of the most important involves acetaldehyde, a chemical produced when the body breaks down ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages.

Acetaldehyde can damage DNA and interfere with normal cellular processes. Over time, accumulated DNA damage can contribute to the development of cancer.

Alcohol can also influence hormone levels and other biological pathways associated with cancer development.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory, scientific evidence supports a causal relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer at several anatomical sites.

Alcohol is also classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 carcinogen. This classification means there is sufficient evidence that the substance can cause cancer in humans.

That classification places alcoholic beverages in the same broad carcinogenic category as several other well-established cancer-causing exposures.

Importantly, this classification does not mean alcohol is equally dangerous as every other Group 1 carcinogen. The category describes the strength of evidence that an exposure can cause cancer, rather than ranking individual substances by their overall level of danger.

Older Adults Face a Particularly Heavy Burden

The new analysis found that older adults, particularly older men, experienced some of the greatest effects.

Researchers reported a notable increase in alcohol-attributable cancer mortality among men aged 55 and older. At the same time, increases were seen across most cancer types, age groups and regions.

Several factors may help explain why older populations carry a substantial burden.

Cancer risk naturally increases with age, while decades of cumulative exposure to alcohol can add another potential risk factor.

The effects of alcohol may also interact with other health conditions and behaviors. For example, tobacco use is itself a major cancer risk factor, and people who both smoke and drink can face particularly high risks for certain cancers.

As populations age, therefore, the number of people living long enough to develop alcohol-associated diseases can become increasingly important for public health.

The Broader Public Health Picture

The U.S. findings are part of a much wider international concern.

The World Health Organization has reported substantial cancer mortality attributable to alcohol. In the WHO European Region, for example, alcohol was estimated to contribute to more than 93,000 cancer deaths in 2020.

The global burden varies considerably between countries and populations.

Alcohol consumption patterns differ by culture, income, age, gender and availability. Tobacco use and other risk factors also vary significantly between populations.

Nevertheless, the underlying biological relationship between alcohol exposure and cancer remains an important international health issue.

The WHO has emphasized that alcohol contributes to cancer even at relatively low levels of consumption, reinforcing the idea that reducing alcohol intake can be one component of cancer prevention.

Changing the Way People Think About Drinking

The new figures could also influence how the public thinks about alcohol.

For decades, moderate drinking was sometimes presented as relatively harmless or even potentially beneficial for certain aspects of health. However, more recent research and public-health guidance have increasingly emphasized that alcohol carries risks that can be underestimated.

Cancer is an important part of that discussion.

People may understand that heavy drinking can damage the liver, increase the risk of accidents and contribute to addiction. The connection with cancer, however, has historically received less attention.

That may be changing.

The U.S. Surgeon General has called for greater public awareness of the cancer risks associated with alcohol, including consideration of warning labels on alcoholic beverages.

Such proposals reflect a broader shift toward treating alcohol as a preventable cancer-risk factor rather than solely as a substance associated with alcohol-use disorders.

What the Findings Mean for Individuals

The study does not mean that someone who drinks alcohol will necessarily develop cancer.

Cancer is complex, and individual risk depends on many variables.

Instead, the research provides population-level evidence that alcohol contributes to a measurable number of cancer deaths. For individuals, reducing alcohol consumption can therefore be considered one potential way to lower exposure to a known cancer risk factor.

People who do not drink do not need to begin drinking for health reasons.

For people who do drink, consuming less generally reduces alcohol exposure. Those who have concerns about their drinking habits or cancer risk can discuss their individual circumstances with a healthcare professional.

The appropriate decision can vary depending on age, medical history, medications, pregnancy status and other personal factors.

Why the Numbers Matter

The rise from 11,361 alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023 is more than a statistical change.

It illustrates how a preventable exposure can contribute to a significant disease burden over time.

The researchers’ findings also reinforce the importance of distinguishing between alcohol-related disease and alcohol-use disorder.

A person does not necessarily need to have an alcohol addiction for alcohol to influence cancer risk.

That distinction could become increasingly important as doctors and public-health organizations try to communicate the risks of drinking more clearly.

Alcohol-Related Cancer Deaths Highlight a Preventable Risk

The latest evidence adds another warning to the growing scientific literature surrounding alcohol and cancer.

Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States more than doubled between 1990 and 2023, reaching more than 23,000 deaths annually in the latest year analyzed.

Researchers found that the burden extends across multiple cancer types and demographic groups, with older men among those most heavily affected.

At the same time, major health organizations continue to emphasize that alcohol is a proven human carcinogen and that cancer risk can increase even at relatively low levels of consumption.

The message is therefore increasingly clear: alcohol is not simply a concern for the liver or for people who drink heavily.

Its relationship with cancer is broader.

For public-health officials, the challenge now is communicating that risk without exaggeration or confusion. For individuals, understanding the evidence can help inform personal decisions about alcohol consumption.

As researchers continue studying the long-term effects of drinking, the growing evidence suggests that reducing alcohol exposure may be an important and potentially preventable part of reducing cancer risk.