Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States more than doubled over a three-decade period, increasing from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023, according to a study led by researchers at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The findings were published in The Lancet Regional Health—Americas and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.

Researchers analyzed more than 30 years of data from the Global Burden of Disease study to track these trends. Despite alcohol being classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, public awareness of its link to various cancers remains limited, according to the study authors.

"The most surprising finding was the breadth of alcohol’s potential impact across cancer types," said Chinmay Jani, M.D., corresponding author of the study and chief fellow in hematology and oncology at Sylvester. "Although its relationship with liver cancer is widely recognized, its contribution to cancers such as colorectal, esophageal, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer is less understood by the public."

Cancer Deaths by Demographic

The study indicated that older adults and men bore the highest overall burden of alcohol-related cancer deaths. Among older men, liver cancer was the primary cause of mortality, followed by esophageal and colorectal cancers. For women, breast cancer was the leading cause of alcohol-related cancer deaths overall.

Notably, among younger adults aged 20 to 54, colorectal cancer emerged as the leading cause of alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in men and the second leading cause in women, surpassing liver cancer in both age groups. This shift in pattern for younger adults was highlighted as a significant concern.

Public Health Implications

The researchers emphasized that these findings have significant implications for public health messaging. They noted that awareness of alcohol's carcinogenic properties is considerably lower compared to well-known risks like tobacco use.

Because no minimum safe level of alcohol consumption has been established, the study suggests that reducing alcohol intake may help lower long-term cancer risk. However, the authors cautioned that the study's reliance on existing national data, rather than longitudinal tracking of individuals, means it cannot definitively prove direct causation or establish a specific safe drinking limit. It establishes a strong association between alcohol use and cancer deaths.

"What this study makes clear is that alcohol-related cancer risk is not limited to one disease or one group of people," stated Gilberto Lopes, M.D., senior author and chief of the Division of Medical Oncology at the Miller School. "As physicians and cancer researchers, we have an opportunity to help patients understand that alcohol is a modifiable risk factor and that even small, informed changes can be part of a broader strategy to reduce cancer risk in our community."