U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory regarding the link of alcohol and cancer on Friday (January 3).
“This advisory highlights alcohol use as a leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, contributing to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year,” the advisory states. “The more alcohol consumed, the greater the risk of cancer.”
Surgeon General's advisories are intended to call "the American people’s attention to an urgent public health issue and provides recommendations for how it should be addressed" and "reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action," according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The advisory claimed that "alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States" following tobacco and obesity and increased the risk for at least seven types of cancer: breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx) regardless of the type of alcohol consumed.
“For certain cancers, like breast, mouth, and throat cancers, evidence shows that this risk may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day," the advisory stated.
An estimated 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths are reported in the U.S. annually, according to the advisory. The Surgeon General is also advising that alcohol-containing beverages now include a cancer risk warning label, as well as a reassessment of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for cancer risk and advises consumers to be aware of the relationship between drinking and the increased risk of cancer.