Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer. It is the third most common potentially avoidable cause of cancer, after cigarette smoking and excess body weight.
What types of cancer are linked to alcohol use?
Alcohol use has been linked with cancers of the:
Alcohol most likely increases the risk of some other cancers as well.
For some cancers, like liver cancer, the more alcohol you drink, the higher your cancer risk. But for other types of cancer, mainly breast cancer, drinking even small amounts of alcohol increases your risk. Drinking alcohol and its link to cancer were higher in men than in women, except for esophageal cancer.
Do all types of alcoholic drinks increase cancer risk?
Yes, all types of alcoholic drinks increase cancer risk. This includes beer, wine, liquor (distilled spirits), and other drinks. When it comes to cancer risk, the amount of alcohol you drink over time seems to be the most important risk factor. The type of alcoholic drink isn’t as important.
One standard-sized serving of alcohol = 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor (distilled spirits).
Ethanol is the type of alcohol found in all alcoholic drinks. In general, one standard-sized serving of alcohol has roughly the same amount of ethanol (about half an ounce) no matter the type. Of course, larger or “stronger” drinks can have more ethanol than this.
