Few Americans know Link

Drinking alcohol of any kind – liquor, beer and wine – is one of the biggest risk factors for developing cancer, but too few Americans are aware of the risk, and it could put their health at risk.

A research article published in Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers and prevention, a review by the American Association for Cancer, shows that most Americans (over 50%) say they don’t know how alcoholic beverages affect cancer risk. Some people (10.3%) believed that wine in particular lowered the risk of cancer.

“All types of alcoholic beverages, including wine, increase cancer risk,” study lead author William MP Klein, Ph.D.associate director of the National Cancer Institute’s behavioral research program, said in a press release.

“The results of this study underscore the need to develop interventions to educate the public about the cancer risks associated with alcohol consumption,” Klein said, “particularly in the current context of national dialogue about the purported benefits of wine for heart health”.

To determine American knowledge about the link between alcohol and cancer risk. The researchers analyzed data from the 2020 National Health Information Trends Survey, which included survey responses from nearly 4,000 American adults.

Respondents were asked: “In your opinion, how much is consumed of the following types of alcohol [wine, beer, and liquor] affect the risk of developing cancer? Respondents were also asked about their knowledge of the link between alcohol and heart disease, as well as their own current drinking habits.

Over 50% of respondents said they did not know how alcohol affects cancer risk. About 31% of American adults were aware of the alcohol-cancer link for alcohol specifically, followed by beer and wine (24.9% and 20.3%, respectively).

Erroneously, 10% of American adults surveyed thought wine lowered cancer risk, while fewer people (2.2% and 1.7%) thought beer and spirits lowered risk.

Age also determined whether a person was more likely to know about the link between alcohol and cancer risk. Adults over 60 were less likely to know of alcohol as a cancer risk factor, while adults aged 18 to 39 were more likely to know of the link. According to the study authors, this may be due to older drinking habits among older Americans.

Drinking habits, however, were not associated with awareness of the link: non-drinkers, average drinkers and heavy drinkers were also aware of the cancer risk of alcohol.

“Alcohol is one of the top modifiable risk factors for cancer in the United States, and previous research has shown that most Americans don’t know it,” said the study’s lead author. Andrew Seidenberg, PhD, MPHwho conducted this research while a cancer prevention researcher at the National Cancer Institute, said in a press release.

This previous research is a 2021 study published in Cancer epidemiologywho estimated that the number of annual cancer diagnoses in the United States attributed to alcohol is about 75,000, including almost 19,000 cancer deaths.

Currently, alcohol is considered a risk factor in at least six different cancers: cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx, as well as cancers of the esophagus, breast, colorectal, stomach and liver.

In its most recent report on carcinogens, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program lists the consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen.

The main reason alcohol can cause cancer is because it produces a carcinogen called acetaldehyde when the body metabolizes it, according to Edward Giovannucci, MDprofessor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston, who was not involved in the new research.

The human body naturally produces acetaldehyde in small amounts, but in large amounts it can damage DNA, which is how carcinogens create abnormal cancer cells.

In addition to acetaldehyde, excessive alcohol consumption can cause the tissues it comes into direct contact with to break down, such as the upper throat, esophagus and stomach, Dr. Giovannucci said.

The risk of alcohol-related cancer is lower than the risk carried by other more well-known carcinogens. Smoking, for example, is responsible for about 20% of all cancers and about 30% of all cancer deaths in the United States. However, “you don’t want to ignore any carcinogens,” Klein said. Health.

The Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that men drink no more than two alcoholic beverages a day and women drink no more than one.

According to Klein, the more you drink in one sitting, the worse the alcohol is for you, which makes binge drinking especially dangerous.

“When you drink a lot at once, your body tries to break it down, and the more you drink, the more acetaldehyde you create,” he said.

If you’re worried about drinking too much, Klein said the most important thing you can do to cut down on your drinking isn’t to rely on willpower alone. “We know from years of research that simply relying on willpower is not effective because most of us will give in at some point,” he said.

Instead, George F. Koob, PhDdirector of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), suggests starting by taking a closer look at your relationship with alcohol: if you tend to drink in certain settings or situations, if you do so out of boredom, or if you just like the taste.

Once you’ve identified your why, find a substitute. For example, meditate to fight anxiety or reaching out to friends or family when you’re feeling stressed instead of turning to alcohol. Koob also recommends telling those closest to you about your goals to drink less: “It can be easier to change your behavior if you know you have support from people close to you.”

If you’re a social drinker, Klein recommends replacing social outings focused on drinking with an activity that doesn’t have to include alcohol. This may seem difficult, especially if others around you also rely on drinking alcohol as their primary means of socializing, but it has already been done.

“People need a social connection and having something like alcohol can be a way to facilitate that connection,” he said, adding that this is the connection many people had with smoking. before its health effects were widely known.

If you want professional help to reduce the amount you drink, Klein recommends seeking out a certified health and wellness therapist or coach who specializes in behavior change, substance use, and helping people establish and achieve objectives.