Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the US have more than doubled over the past thirty years

Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the US have more than doubled over the past thirty years, with recent research indicating that even one drink per day may increase cancer risk, affecting various types of cancer beyond just liver cancer.

Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is affiliated with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, conducted an analysis of over thirty years of Global Burden of Disease data. Their study, published in August in the Lancet Regional Health, revealed that annual cancer deaths linked to alcohol increased from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023.

The findings connect alcohol consumption to a heightened risk of mortality from breast, prostate, colon, rectal, stomach, pancreatic, and liver cancers, as well as cancers of the head and neck.

Older men experienced the most significant impacts, although researchers observed increases across various cancer types, age groups, and regions.


Alcohol has been categorized as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, aligning it with substances such as tobacco smoke and asbestos.

Research indicates that even relatively low levels of alcohol consumption can elevate the risk of cancer. Increased risk has been associated with consumption levels ranging from 5 to 15 grams daily. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a “standard drink” in the US is defined as containing 0.6 ounces (or 14 grams) of pure alcohol. Consuming just one drink per day may elevate the risk of cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), alcohol may play a role in the development of cancer through various mechanisms. The NCI reported that alcohol consumption was responsible for approximately 5%—nearly 100,000—of the 1.8 million cancer cases diagnosed in the US in 2019. It accounted for approximately 4%—nearly 25,000—of the estimated 600,000 cancer deaths in the US that year.

Older men experienced a notably significant impact in the August study. The mortality rate from alcohol-related cancer among males aged 55 and older increased by nearly 24% over the 33-year period.

Among men, liver cancer deaths showed the most significant link to alcohol consumption, followed by esophageal and colorectal cancers. In women aged 55 and older, breast cancer ranked as the primary cancer linked to alcohol-related deaths, with liver and colorectal cancers following closely behind.

Early last year, the former surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, stated that alcohol consumption was the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the US, following tobacco and obesity. He advocated for alcoholic beverages to feature warning labels that inform consumers about the associated cancer risks.