What Do We Know About Alcohol & Cancer Risk?
- Actor and filmmaker Gary Oldman has just turned another year older. His 66th birthday reminds us how he previously had overcome adversity. He used to drink “two bottles of vodka a day.”
- If you’re thinking about cutting back on your alcohol consumption, or giving it up altogether, you should also take into consideration the effects alcohol can have on your cancer risk.
- According to the National Cancer Institute, there is a clear link between consuming alcohol, especially drinking it regularly over time, and an increased risk of several cancers. Those cancers include head and neck, esophageal, liver, breast and colorectal.
- Oncologists say moderate alcohol consumption is an answer for people looking to balance cancer risk with the enjoyment they get from drinking.
The “Slow Horses” star recently opened up about how he quit drinking alcohol more than 25 years ago, recounting how he would “get upset” his work would take away his time from his bad habit.
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He continued, “I used to get upset that my working as an actor was getting in the way of my drinking. I was going to die and when you get to that point you have to choose. No one can do it for you.
“You have to help you and you have to get to a point where you can say, ‘I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.’ It’s about changing thought patterns – you have to realize that your thinking is upside down and you have to start again.”
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Oldman, who is married to his fifth white Gisele Schmidt, admitted it took him a “long time” but urged anyone going through what he did, “you have to do it.”
“I’ve realized the older I get, the less I know. And I take comfort in that,” the father of three, who has three sons from his earlier marriages, concluded.
Oldman turned 66 on Thursday, and appears to be enjoying life with his loving wife and family.
His wife took to their Instagram page to commemorate the actor turning another year older with a sweet photo of the couple, captioning the post, “My dearest, Gary: Whether we are Happy/Sad or going Up/Down, Left/Right, Over/Under, Around/Through from Day/Night, it will always be YOU/ME.
“You are the sun, the moon, and everything in between. Here’s to the past year and many, many more to come. Happy Birthday, my Love.”
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Overcoming Alcohol Abuse
It’s great to see Oldman was able to overcome adversity. TV news journalist Elizabeth Vargas also understands the struggle of alcoholism and previously spoke with SurvivorNet on how she was able to overcome addiction and learn from her past.
“Relapse is part of recovery. If getting sober or getting clean from a substance was that easy, we wouldn’t have the issue of addiction in this country. People relapse because it’s hard. It’s really hard. And I think all too often, families, companies, corporations, friends, and colleagues are too fast to say, you relapsed, you’re out, you’re done. We don’t tell somebody who has cancer when the cancer comes back, oh, sorry, no more chemo. But many companies, many families say, no more treatment,” Vargas explained.
“You relapsed. You’re hopeless. You don’t want to get better. You won’t try hard enough. And that’s the kind of thinking I think we need to change. And that’s why there’s so much stigma around the disease of substance use disorder.”
Vargas, who is now sober, says she loves her two sons very much and would “die for them” but said that alcoholism is so “powerful” and hard to combat that she “couldn’t stop drinking for them” before seeking help
The beloved journalist stressed the importance of communication regarding health issues and mental health. She thinks people should talk about drug and alcohol addiction like other conditions, for example, diabetes, saying, “We have an opioid crisis right now killing record numbers of people in this country. We have to look at drug addiction differently in order to help people get clean.”
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Alcohol and Cancer Risk
We’re happy to hear Oldman’s determination and will power to get sober has helped him reduce his cancer risk. His decision to stop drinking so much reminds us of alcohol’s relation to cancer risk.
According to the National Cancer Institute, there is a clear link between consuming alcohol, especially drinking it regularly over time, and an increased risk of several cancers. Those cancers include head and neck, esophageal, liver, breast and colorectal.
More On Alcohol & Cancer
- Alcohol Can Cause Cancer — So Why Don’t Beer, Wine, Whiskey and Other Booze Labels Warn Us?
- Alcohol Consumption Increases Cancer Risk. Less Booze Is Associated With Lower Cancer Risk, New Data Adds To The Case For Moderation
- Alcohol Intake Has a Big Impact on Colon Cancer Surgery
- Alcohol and Cancer: More than 700,000 New Cases of Cancer Worldwide In 2020 Were Attributable to Alcohol Consumption, New Research Suggests
- Alcohol Can Increase the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer
A study published in JAMA Network Open about two years ago found that people with “heavy drinking levels had an associated higher risk” of developing alcohol-related cancers “than those who did not drink.” The study included 4.5 million participants who self-reported their drinking habits. The results concluded people who reduced their alcohol consumption lowered their risk.
Conversely, “Those with moderate or heavy drinking levels who quit drinking had a higher all cancer incidence than those who sustained their levels, but when quitting was sustained, this increase in risk disappeared.”
Additionally, the American Cancer Society warns that alcohol consumption can increase your risk for many different types of cancer. Considering cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box and esophagus, for example, alcohol “clearly” increases risk. That being said, the ACS notes that drinking and smoking together puts you at a much higher risk for these cancers than drinking or smoking alone.
Alcohol Can Increase the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer
“This might be because alcohol can help harmful chemicals in tobacco get inside the cells that line the mouth, throat, and esophagus,” the ACS website states. “Alcohol may also limit how these cells can repair damage to their DNA caused by the chemicals in tobacco.”
When it comes to liver cancer, “long-term alcohol use has been linked to an increased risk.” When you regularly drink a lot of alcohol, liver damage can occur and lead to inflammation and scarring a possible explanation for the increased risk.
We also know there’s a clear link between breast cancer and alcohol consumption. In November 2017, the American Society of Clinical Oncology published a statement citing evidence that links alcohol to multiple cancers and calling for reduced alcohol consumption as a way to cut people’s cancer risk. But many women said they had been drinking more during the pandemic, and 70 percent weren’t aware of the resulting increased cancer risk, according to a SurvivorNet survey in February 2021.
RELATED: Warning to Drinkers: ‘Strong Link’ Found Between Alcohol and Deadly Cancers
The ACS also reports that alcohol use has been linked with a higher risk of cancers of the colon and rectum with stronger evidence for this in men than in women, though studies have found the link in both sexes.
Does Alcohol Impact the Risks for Colon and Other Cancers?
Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal cancer surgeon at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, also previously spoke with SurvivorNet, revealing she believes alcohol increases risk for certain cancers but acknowledged that the data was mixed, especially for colon cancer.
“I do think that high levels of alcohol certainly predispose to a certain number of cancers, including pancreatic and liver cancer, and may predispose to colon cancer,” she said.
“But there’s also some data that shows that low levels of alcohol, or a glass of wine here and there, may actually lower your risk of colon cancer.”
Making Decisions On Alcohol Consumption & Tips To Help You Avoid It
It’s important to note that alcohol consumption may increase the risk of developing these cancers, but it doesn’t necessarily cause these cancers. That being said, it’s hard to know what to do if you’re concerned about your alcohol intake increasing your risk of various cancers.
Dr. Heather Yeo previously stressed the importance of moderation, telling SurvivorNet, “For women, anything over a half a glass or a glass a day is probably not helping your overall health. For men, they can probably go one to two glasses before they start seeing health effects.”
If you happen to struggle with alcohol in times of stress, Victoria Martin’s story may inspire you. Martin is a breast cancer survivor and wellness coach who used her own experience to help others with alcohol addiction.
Speaking to SurvivorNet in an earlier interview, Martin shared some helpful tips and actionable steps people can use to help break unhealthy habits and cope with stress without alcohol.
- Mindset: Instead of looking at it like this is something you have to give up, try making a tiny shift in your language and thinking that still feels true. Have an open mind and think about what you will gain and learn, rather than approaching from deprivation.
- Be Curious: What would it feel like to experience some new thoughts and feelings to replace the worn-out ones? It is empowering to realize that you can change your patterns and see what is on the other side.
- Understand This is Not the Garden of Eden: Thinking of anything as a “forbidden fruit” creates even greater cravings, feelings of resentment, and deprivation. You are simply getting curious and creating changes that you get to make. Also, emotional attachments to our habits are very real, so it is perfectly healthy to acknowledge and honor these feelings.
- Create a Toolbox: Habits that no longer serve us, did serve a purpose at some point, and that is part of why we use them past their expiration date. You may be surprised at how uncomfortable some moments can be, but you can learn tools and tactics that will make it easier than staying stuck.
- Find Your People: You are not alone. Luckily, there is strength in numbers and a community where you can connect with people who understand what it is like. Sharing your experience won’t just help you feel less alone, but you will be helping others.
- Drop the “Shoulds”: One of the quickest ways to be defeated is by “shoulding ourselves.” Expecting to be perfect and tearing ourselves down will only lead to our maladaptive habits gaining more of a foothold. Practice speaking to yourself the way you would speak to a friend and see how kindness gets you moving in the right direction.
Reaching Milestones
Reaching milestones during or after a health battle, or cancer fight is huge. These events – like turning another year older, like Oldman has just celebrated, or getting married, may mean even more than they did previously, so it’s important to take them all in and enjoy all that you’ve overcome.
“I’m Able to Be Here For More Milestones” One Cancer Survivor’s Incredible Story
Chrissy Degennaro, a cancer warrior determined to keep enjoying these precious milestones, is a great example of this. She has been battling a rare blood cancer called multiple myeloma for 14 years, and was first diagnosed when she was just 36 years old with a 2-year-old son.
When she was diagnosed, she almost expected to not be able to see him enter kindergarten. But thanks to 27 rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, a CAR-T cell trial and two CAR-T cell transplants over following 14 years, she’s able to keep making memories with her family.
“You know, I do live one day at a time,” Chrissy previously told SurvivorNet. “Now, maybe I can go a week, a month, but things are looking pretty good. I’m able to be here for more milestones for my son, for more holidays, more birthdays. I do feel like I have had another chance at life.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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