Light drinking & cancer risk

We’ve all heard that heavy alcohol use increases the risk of cancer, and that even moderate drinking – up to 2 drinks a day – can increase the risk of breast cancer. But now there’s a 2012 study out of Italy that suggests that as little as 1 drink per day may increase cancer risk!   

Alcohol—including beer, wine, and “hard liquor”—is a known risk factor for several cancers. These include cancers of the colon, breast, larynx, liver, esophagus, mouth and pharynx (throat). Alcohol promotes cancer in several ways: It’s broken down in the body to an organic chemical called acetaldehyde, which not only triggers hangover symptoms, but has the ability to damage our DNA. Alcohol also increases the levels of hormones such as estrogen in the body, can damage the liver, causes free radicals in the body, and makes it easier for harmful chemicals in tobacco to enter the tissues of the mouth and throat.    

Previous work has shown us that people drinking 4 or more drinks a day are at higher risk for mouth and throat cancers. With breast cancer, for every additional 10 grams of alcohol daily (a little less than one drink), breast cancer risk goes up 7-10%.  According to one study, smaller amounts of alcohol may also contribute to colon cancer: for each additional 16 grams of alcohol (the amount in a pint of premium beer or large glass of wine), risk increased by 9%. 

The study from Italy used the many epidemiological studies that have been performed on alcohol use to investigate whether amounts of alcohol as small as one drink per day raise the risk of the alcohol-related cancers. They used a technique called meta-analysis to analyze jointly the results from 222 different studies of cancer occurrence that compared people taking 1 drink versus non-drinkers. These studies included 92,000 light drinkers and 60,000 non-drinkers, and covered colon, breast, larynx, liver, esophagus, mouth and throat cancers. 

The authors did verify that for some of these cancers, risk was significantly increased with just 1 drink per day. For mouth and throat cancers, the increase in risk was 17%. For squamous cell esophageal cancer (one variety of this cancer), the risk increased by 30%, while for breast cancer, the increased in risk was 5% - small, but still significant.  Worldwide, the authors attribute 5000 mouth and throat cancer deaths, 24,000 squamous cell esophageal cancer deaths, and 5000 breast cancer deaths to having just 1 drink daily. For colon, larynx and liver, risk was not shown to be increased with 1 drink per day.

The increased risk of cancer with light drinking is the opposite of what researchers have found with heart disease, where a little less than 2 drinks a day may have a protective benefit.  However, with more drinks, the risk of cancer rapidly starts to outweigh any benefit that exists for reducing risk of heart disease. With the findings from this new study suggesting that just 1 drink per day can increase the risk of some cancers, consuming alcohol with the hope of reducing risk of cardiovascular disease should definitely be reconsidered. Those concerned about heart disease will be better served by eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, not smoking and practicing regular stress management techniques.   

For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, call (847) 230-9107 or visit BlockMD.com.