Alcohol-Attributable Cancer Deaths and Years of Potential Life Lost in the United States (original) (raw)
Related papers
Does Alcohol Use Affect Cancer Risk?
Current Nutrition Reports, 2019
Purpose of Review To provide an overview of the risk relationships between alcohol use and cancer and of the alcoholattributable cancer burden; to highlight areas of controversy in the alcohol-cancer relationship; to examine the reasons why these risk relationships have not received greater public attention. Recent Findings In 2016, alcohol caused an estimated 376,200 cancer deaths, 10.0 million cancer years of life lost (YLLs), 236,600 cancer years lived with disability (YLDs), and 10.3 million cancer disability-adjusted years of life (DALYs), representing 4.2%, 4.2%, 4.6%, and 4.2% of all deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs lost due to cancer, respectively, proportionally highest in high-and upper-middle-income countries. Summary Alcohol use is a major contributor to cancer and is linked to the most prevalent types of cancer. No threshold for the effects of alcohol on cancer has yet been identified, and thus, abstinence is best for cancer prevention. Greater public awareness of the relationship between alcohol use and cancer is advisable. Keywords Alcohol. Acetaldehyde. Cancer. Mortality. Burden of disease. Public perception Monograph on alcohol has been updated twice to include colorectal and female breast cancers to the list of cancer sites causally affected by alcohol [2, 3]. Furthermore, the Continuous Update Project (CUP) of the World Cancer Research Fund International/American Institute for Cancer Research has found convincing evidence of an association between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the development of cancer [4]; however, there is disagreement between the IARC's Monographs program and the CUP on which cancer sites are causally associated with alcohol consumption.
Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Cancer
pubs.niaaa.nih.gov
Alcohol consumption has been linked to an increased risk for various types of cancer. A combined analysis of more than 200 studies assessing the link between alcohol and various types of cancer (i.e., a meta-analysis) sought to investigate this association in more detail. This meta analysis found that alcohol most strongly increased the risks for cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, and larynx. Statistically significant increases in risk also existed for cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, liver, female breast, and ovaries. Several mechanisms have been postulated through which alcohol may contribute to an increased risk of cancer. Concurrent tobacco use, which is common among drinkers, enhances alcohol's effects on the risk for cancers of the upper digestive and respiratory tract. The analysis did not identify a threshold level of alcohol consumption below which no increased risk for cancer was evident. KEY WORDS: AOD (alcohol or other drug) consumption; chronic AODE (effects of AOD use, abuse, and dependence); cancer; carcinogenesis; oral disorder; esophageal disorder; dose-response relationship; gender differences; tobacco in any form; distilled alcoholic beverage; drug concentration; risk analysis; meta-analysis
In G. Colditz (Ed.), Encyclopedia of cancer and society (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Alcohol consumption and cancer risk
Nutrition and cancer, 2011
This review focuses on selected aspects of the relation between alcohol consumption and cancer risk. Heavy alcohol consumption (i.e., ≥4 drinks/day) is significantly associated with an increased risk of about 5-fold for oral and pharyngeal cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, 2.5-fold for laryngeal cancer, 50% for colorectal and breast cancers, and 30% for pancreatic cancer. These estimates are based on a large number of epidemiological studies and are generally consistent across strata of several covariates. The evidence suggests that at low doses of alcohol consumption (i.e., ≤1 drink/day) the risk is also increased by about 20% for oral and pharyngeal cancer and 30% for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Thus, for these sites there is little evidence of a threshold effect. While consumption of fewer than 3 alcoholic drinks/wk is not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, an intake of 3 to 6 drinks/wk might already yield a (small) increase in risk. On the o...
Alcohol consumption and risk of cancer: a systematic literature review
Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP, 2013
This study aimed to discuss the consumption of alcohol as a risk factor for major cancers. We performed a search in the PubMed database, using the following inclusion criteria: meta-analysis published in English in the last 10 years that addressed the relationship between alcohol and the risk of developing cancer. The results indicate that moderate to heavy consumption of alcohol increases the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, stomach, larynx, colorectum, central nervous system, pancreas, breast and prostate. This review did not find any association between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of cancers of the lung, bladder, endometrium and ovary. It was also observed that alcohol consumption may be inversely related to thyroid cancer. Our systematic review has confirmed consumption of alcohol as a risk factor for the development of several types of cancer.
Journal of Nutrition and Health Sciences, 2018
Background: The effect of alcohol consumption on overall cancer incidence is not clear. The aim of the paper is to estimate the impact of alcohol consumption on risk distribution of the 20 most common cancer types among men and women in the Western world. Methods: A meta-analysis of relative risks for the 20 most common cancer types potentially associated with alcohol consumption in the Western world was conducted based on the most recent cancer specific meta-analyses. Cancer risks were compared between men and women applying a sigmoidal dose response model. Cancer is a leading cause of death in the Western world. The overall cancer death rate, however, has started to decline since the early 1990s [1,2]. Apart from significant progress in the treatment of various cancers, more attention is now focused on cancer prevention. Many factors affect cancer incidence. Important risk factors most of which are lifestyle factors are: smoking, obesity, infections, physical inactivity, diet, occupational hazards, alcohol, reproductive factors, UV light/radiation, environmental pollutants and prescribed drugs. Their contribution to cancer incidence is considered to be relatively large, for smoking (about 30%), obesity (about 20%) and infections (about 15%) [3,4]. Physical inactivity, diet and occupational hazards contribute for a smaller percentage of about 5% each. The remainder risk factors contribute even less, with alcohol's contribution being estimated at about 3% [3]. Results: Drinking 2.5-14.9 g alcohol/day was associated with a small decrease in overall cancer incidence: 0.977 for men and 0.974 for women; followed by a small increase in the 15-29.9 g/day category: 1.029 for men and 1.077 for women. Further increases were observed in the 30-60 g/day category indicating a 5 and 10% increase in overall cancer risk for men and women, respectively. Women appeared to be more sensitive: the alcohol consumption level to acquire overall risk increase is 22 g/day for women and 46 g/day for men. Conclusion: Moderate alcohol consumption (up to 15 g/day) is not associated with the incidence of the 20 most common cancer types in the Western world in contrast to higher consumption.
Mechanisms of alcohol-associated cancers: introduction and summary of the symposium
Alcohol, 2005
Chronic alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk for cancers of many organs, such as oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus; breast; liver; ovary; colon; rectum; stomach; and pancreas. An understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which chronic alcohol consumption promotes carcinogenesis is important for development of appropriate strategies for prevention and treatment of alcohol-associated cancers.