Should Every Bottle of Alcohol Carry a Cancer Warning? The New Push From Major Public Health Organizations

“The petition was filed by three cancer organizations: the American Society of Clinical Oncology; the American Institute for Cancer Research; and Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, in collaboration with the American Public Health Association, the Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Alcohol Justice,  and the US Alcohol Policy Alliance.”

Related: Many Women Say They're Drinking More During Pandemic, 70% Don't Know Alcohol Increases Cancer Risk, According to SurvivorNet Survey

If passed, the warning would read: “WARNING: According to the Surgeon General, consumption of alcoholic beverages can cause cancer, including breast and colon cancers.”

Alcohol and Cancer Risk

Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon and Surgical Oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, tells us in an earlier interview, “When it comes to alcohol's influence on cancer risk, the data is mixed. High levels of alcohol can predispose people to certain types of cancerincluding pancreatic, liver, and colon,” she says.

Related: 6 Tips to Help You Avoid Alcohol When Faced With Stress of a Cancer Diagnosis

Moderation is key, says Dr. Yeo. “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."

It’s not just being at home that contributes to the rise in drinking right now many of us are under general stress and anxiety, due to the pandemic and its wide-reaching effects. Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a Medical Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, tells patients, and she says in an earlier interview, “I say, 'Let's think about how we can manage your stress better.’ What's really stressing you out? And are there other ways to cope with that anxiety? Can we get you to take a walk and breathing fresh air? Can we delegate the many responsibilities that may be weighing you down?’"

Does Alcohol Impact the Risks for Colon and Other Cancers?

Breast Cancer & Alcohol

Breast cancer, in particular, has a direct correlation between alcohol consumption and increased risk of developing this disease. Dr. Comen tells patients to trust their gut, and act in alignment with their comfort levels, when it comes to drinking alcohol.

Related: Breast Cancer: Overview

"I think we're learning every day about what the contribution of alcohol may be to cancer. And while we know that a lot isn't good, I don't necessarily tell patients, you can't ever drink. But I do have some patients who say, I am so terrified that every time I take a drink of alcohol that I'm going to get breast cancer. Well, don't drink alcohol. If you're binge drinking, you are increasing your risk of breast cancer."

Related: There's a Proven Link Between Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risk So Why Don't We Hear About It?

“Each drink increases a woman's risk for breast cancer. So binge drinking, it's not good for anybody," says Dr. Comen. "And it's also not good for a woman's increased risk of breast cancer. And so patients ask me this all the time well, how much can I drink? If you want to have absolutely no risk from alcohol, then don't drink at all. But probably having less than four glasses a week of alcohol is probably OK."

Alcohol Can Increase the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer

 

 

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