A Yale School of Public Health expert explains how alcohol increases cancer risk and why the U.S. might update warning labels. When people drink alcohol, their body breaks it down into acetaldehyde, a chemical that damages DNA. Alcohol also creates harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species that hurt cells.
The more someone drinks, the higher their cancer risk becomes. Alcohol is especially dangerous when combined with tobacco - together they greatly increase risks for mouth, throat, and esophagus cancers. The World Health Organization lists alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it definitely causes cancer.
Research links alcohol to breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and cancers of the mouth and throat. Dr. Vasilis Vasiliou advises people not to start drinking for health reasons.
People who already drink should limit themselves to one drink per day for women or two for men. Those with family cancer history should be extra careful. U.S. health officials are reviewing whether alcohol warning labels need updating to better inform the public about cancer risks.
Many people don't know alcohol causes cancer, but clear labels and education could help change drinking habits and improve public health, similar to what happened with tobacco warnings.