“7 Cancers Linked to Alcohol: The Hidden Risks You Must Know”

7 cancers linked to Alcohol are as follows-

1. Breast cancer in women
2. Colorectum
3. Esophagus
4. Liver
5. Mouth (Oral Cavity)
6. Throat (Pharynx)
7. Voice box (Larynx)

7 Cancers Linked to Alcohol:

What are the 7 cancers linked to alcohol?

7 cancers linked to alcohol are Breast cancer, colorectum, Esophagus, Liver, Mouth, Throat, and Voicebox.

The US Surgeon General has issued an advisory in which 7 cancers linked to alcohol have been mentioned.

The direct link between these beverages and cancer was established in the 1980s and with passing years more evidence has been found in the support.

How much alcohol is consumed in the USA?

According to the data published, 72 percent of the U.S adult reported that they consumed one or more drinks per week.

Less than half of the U.S. people know about the cancer risk associated with alcohol.

Alcohol and breast cancer risk new findings

Breast cancer in women is the leading alcohol-related cancer in the U.S.

These beverages increase estrogen levels which can alter breast tissue and cause damage to DNA which leads to breast cancer.

44180 cases in 2019 of about a total of 210000 breast cancer were linked to alcohol-related breast cancer cases which means about 16.4 percent of total breast cancer in 2019 were due to alcohol consumption by women.

Evidence suggests that women with one or fewer drinks per day are also at risk for alcohol-related breast cancer.

Alcohol And Cancer Relationship

How much does drinking alcohol increase cancer risk?

Worldwide data for 2020 shows that a total of 741300 cancer cases were linked to these beverages.

After Tobacco and obesity, these beverages are the third most preventable cause of cancer.

Out of these total cases-

25% of cases (185100) had two or less drinks per day(0.1- 30 grams).

28.3% (209800) cases had two to four drinks per day (31-60 grams)

20.7% cases (153400) had four to six drinks per day (61-90 grams)

26% (192900) cases had six or more drinks per day (>90 grams)

How does alcohol cause cancer?

Ethanol is present in all these beverages and it can cause cancer by four different methods.

1. Acetaldehyde- Alcohol can break down into Acetaldehyde which is a cancer-causing substance. It can cause cancer by binding to DNA and damaging it. When the DNA is damaged then a cell can grow uncontrollably which turns into cancerous tumors.
2. Reactive Oxygen species- These drinks can generate reactive oxygen species, which can increase inflammation and can damage DNA, protein and lipid in the body by oxidation which can lead to cancer.
3. Hormonal changes- These drinks can alter hormone levels, especially estrogen levels are increased in the body and this leads to damage to breast tissue and DNA which ultimately leads to Breast cancer in women.
4. Other source- carcinogens from other sources like tobacco can easily dissolve in the body if taken with these beverages. Throat and oral cancer commonly spread through this route.

How to quit alcohol?

Government and communities can play a major role in helping people quit drinking

1. Set and enforce number of places that can sell these beverages and how much distance should be between two beverages selling places.
2. Government can raise taxes on sales of these beverages as increase prices can help bring down sales of these drinks.
3. Limit should be enforced by the government and local communities on the number of days and hours on which these drinks can sold and bought. And it should be strictly monitored to keep control.
4. Age limit for buying these beverages should be monitored strictly and any shop selling to under age should have their license cancelled.
5. Private retail shop numbers should be kept low so that excessive sales of these drinks can be avoided.
6. Shops selling drinks to persons who are already intoxicated should be penalized for any harm caused due to these drinks such as drink-and-drive accidents.
7. The government should enforce the printing of warning labels on the bottles that drinking these beverages can cause cancer.
8. Ban influencers who promote drinking.

Families and person responsibility-

1. It should be the responsibility of the family members to take the family member with the drinking problem to the de-addiction center and help them at home also to avoid drinking.
2. Elder generation should be a role model to younger generation and they should teach them the benifit of healthy lifestyle.
3. Schools and communities should organize meetings and plays to highlight the harmful effects of drinking.
4. A pregnant lady’s group should be created in the hospital and they should be informed about the Ill effects drinking can have on the fetus.
5. People with drinking problems should understand the dangers of drinking and they should try to avoid drinking and seek help from professionals to help them quit drinking.
6. Women should be made aware of breast cancer due to drinking these beverages and they should try to avoid drinking.

Stay Healthy and Avoid Drinking These Harmful Beverages.