Even a moderate amount of alcohol intake can increase the risk of cancers
Excessive use of alcohol is known to increase the risk of mouth, breast, and colon cancers. A recent study has found that even a moderate amount of alcohol intake can increase the risk of certain cancers.

The study’s lead author, Andrew Seidenberg, a Cancer Prevention Fellow at the National Cancer Institute in the US, said that alcohol consumption is a major contributing risk factor for cancer in the US but that most people are unaware of this.
The study’s findings showed that alcohol had the highest awareness among people aged 65 and older, but awareness was very low among adults aged 18-24. The study found that only about half of the population was aware that alcohol can increase the risk of certain cancers.
According to a study published in the American Association for Cancer Research journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, over 50% of adults claimed to be unaware of how these drinks affected cancer risk.
“All types of alcoholic beverages, including wine, increase cancer risk. The findings underscore the need to develop interventions for educating the public about the cancer risks of alcohol use,” said William MP Klein, associate director of the National Cancer Institute’s Behavioral Research Programmed.
Additionally, older adults revealed lesser knowledge of the link between cancer and alcohol consumption than their younger counterparts. The study found that among adults aged 65 years or older, only 36% were aware of the connection between alcohol and cancer risk.
The study also found that women were less likely than men to be aware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk (63% vs 75%). The research team found that men and women with an annual household income between $75,000 and $100,000 were more likely to be aware of the connection between alcohol consumption and cancer risk than those with lower incomes.
Prevent Cancer.org, the national cancer education and support organization urging Americans to put away their bottle as part of its World Cancer Day campaign, on February 4.
The organization warns that all types of alcohol, including wine, beer, and liquor, increase cancer risk. For some cancers, such as breast and esophageal, the risk starts increasing with less than one drink per day. Overall, the greater the alcohol consumption, the greater the cancer risk.