A study recently published in JAMA Oncology has revealed that most adults in the U.S. do not realize that alcohol raises the risk for developing cancer, and regular drinkers themselves are the least aware.
Surprisingly, this research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center shows that over half of adults in the U.S. either underestimate or misunderstand the cancer risks linked to drinking alcohol, and regular drinkers are even more likely to believe that their drinking will have no impact on their risk of cancer. Better awareness of the subject could save lives, making educating the public about the real link between alcohol and cancer important to reducing preventable cancer cases.
Examining What Influences How People Drink and View Cancer Risk
Drawing on data from close to 7,000 adults with a mean age of 48 years old who were enrolled in the Health Information National Trends Survey, this study examined what influences how people drink and view their risk of cancer, noting that health-related behaviors and beliefs strongly affect whether they make informed choices.
Among the participants, 48.4% were female, 60.7% identified as White, 17.5% as Hispanic, and 11% as Black. Over half reported drinking within the past month, and almost 10% had a personal history of cancer.
The participants were asked, “In your opinion, how does drinking alcohol affect the risk of getting cancer?” They could choose from four responses: “decreases the risk of cancer,” “has no effect on the risk of cancer,” “increases risk of cancer,” and “don’t know.”
According to the findings, current cigarette smokers, Black individuals, those with lower levels of education, and those who do not believe that cancer can be prevented were more likely to say that they did not know that consuming alcohol can contribute to their risk of cancer.
Despite decades of accumulating scientific evidence, this study showed that 52.9% of adults in the U.S. are unaware or don’t believe that drinking can affect the risk of cancer. Only 37.1% recognized that drinking could increase the risk, and shockingly, 1% actually believed that drinking would lower the risk of cancer. The researchers also noted that among those who had recently consumed alcohol or those who thought that cancer was not fatal or preventable, they were more likely to say that it has no influence on the risk of cancer.
“It’s concerning that people who drink alcohol are the ones most likely to believe it has no effect on cancer risk,” Shete said. “Given people’s beliefs play a critical role in whether they choose healthier behaviors, we need to work on correcting these misperceptions, which could be essential to reducing the growing burden of alcohol-related cancers,” said lead author Sanjay Shete, Ph.D., professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and Betty B. Marcus Chair in Cancer Prevention, who called the results alarming.
Alcohol and Poor Choices: Prevention Is Key
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 713,000 cancer cases in the U.S. are linked to modifiable risk factors, which could be preventable. This accounts for about 40% of all cancer cases in adults over 30. Leading risk factors include cigarette smoking, excess body weight, and alcohol consumption.
Adding to the preventable alcohol related cancer deaths, in 2023, there were 12,429 fatalities in alcohol-impaired crashes in the United States. This figure is part of a larger trend of alcohol-related traffic fatalities, which hovered around 13,000–14,000 deaths annually in recent years.
Alcohol-impaired driving accounts for about 30% of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States. On average, every day, 34 people die in drunk-driving crashes, which is about one every 42 minutes, and over a 10-year period, about 11,000 people will die in drunk-driving crashes annually, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.
Knowing the risks of drinking alcohol is crucial for informed decision-making, as it can lead to better personal choices, prevent alcohol-related health problems like reduced brain size, cancer, heart disease, and liver disease, decrease alcohol-related violence, and reduce accidents and injuries. Awareness helps people understand the potential for both short-term dangers, such as impaired judgment and injuries, and long-term health consequences, including chronic diseases and addiction.
