Alcohol is killing more people than ever and one group is at the highest risk
New research has shown that alcohol related cancer deaths nearly doubled across the United States in the 30-odd years up to 2021. In 1990, 12,000 deaths caused by cancers linked to alcohol were recorded, and by 2021, this number had increased to over 23,000.
These new findings will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago, and interestingly, they identify one societal group that is most at risk.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classes alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen. It has been linked to at least six types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, liver, colon, and breast.
And even moderate drinking increases cancer risk, reported The Mirror.
But the public appear to remain unaware of the serious dangers associated with drinking alcohol.
A 2024 report from the American Association for Cancer Research found that while over 5 per cent of all cancer cases are linked to alcohol, 51 per cent of Americans are unaware of this connection.
While alcohol-related cancer deaths among women rose just 8 per cent from 1990-2021, men experienced a staggering 56 per cent increase, and men aged 55 and older was found to be the group at the highest risk.
'It wasn't surprising that the rates were higher in men, but the magnitude of the difference was unexpected,' said lead author Dr. Chinmay Jani, chief fellow of hematology and oncology at the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, in an interview with NBC News.
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Researchers suggest this gender gap may be due to men starting to drink at earlier ages, allowing alcohol's long-term carcinogenic effects to accumulate over time.
'The impact of alcohol may not be immediate, but with age and continued consumption, its cancer-causing potential builds up,' Jani explained.
Health officials are now pushing for stronger warning labels on alcoholic beverages and expanded public education campaigns.
'We need to raise awareness of this link — not only among the public but also within the medical community,' Jani emphasised.
'People are well-informed about tobacco and cancer, but alcohol is often overlooked.'
Cancer Research UK has also recently conducted analysis on UK skin cancer data, which suggests that the way people dress when they're in the sun could be influencing where they get the most serious form of skin cancer- melanoma.
Data from 2018 to 2021 shows that 40 per cent of melanomas in men were diagnosed on the torso (the back, chest and stomach) – more than any other part of the body.
That translates to around 3,700 cases of skin cancer every year.
In women, the most common area was the lower limbs (from the hips to the feet).
More than a third of women's melanomas were diagnosed in this area- around 3,200 cases a year.
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