Poll of the Day > Alcohol causes cancer (more often than "everything causes cancer")

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/13/alcohol-caused-740000-cancer-cases-globally-last-year-study

Alcohol is estimated to have caused more than 740,000 cancer cases around the world last year, and experts say more needs to be done to highlight the link.
There is strong evidence that alcohol consumption can cause various cancers including those of the breast, liver, colon, rectum, oropharynx, larynx and oesophagus. Research suggests that even low levels of drinking can increase the risk.
However, public awareness appears low: one UK survey, in 2018, found only one in 10 people were aware that alcohol could cause cancer.
Researchers say that needs to change. They revealed that in 2020 an estimated 741,300 cases of cancer, globally, were caused by alcohol. They suggested that alcohol labels should have cancer warnings, that there could be higher taxes on alcohol and that marketing of drinks could be reduced.
Harriet Rumgay, of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in France, and a co-author of the study, said alcohol caused a substantial burden of cancer globally, and this was shown even at lower levels of drinking.
Alcohols impact on cancer is often unknown or overlooked, so we need increased public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer, and policies to decrease overall alcohol consumption to prevent the burden of cancers and other diseases attributable to alcohol, Rumgay said.
Writing in The Lancet Oncology, the team describe how they made their calculations using existing alcohol consumption estimates for 2010, based on figures including tax and sales data, as well as other data such as risk estimates for cancers known to be linked to alcohol.
There is a delay between alcohol consumption and possible cancer development, so it is necessary to factor in a latency period between the year of alcohol exposure data and the year of cancer diagnosis, said Rumgay.
The researchers combined these figures with existing estimates of new cancer cases expected for 2020 based on records from previous years and hence not affected by disruptions due to the Covid pandemic to estimate the number of cases probably caused by drinking.
The results suggested alcohol consumption was behind an estimated 568,700 cancer cases in men and 172,600 cases in women in 2020, with the majority of the cancer cases involving cancers of the oesophagus, liver and breast. However, when looking at the causes of each cancer type separately, the proportion of cases deemed caused by alcohol was highest for cancers of the oesophagus, pharynx, and lip and oral cavity.
While most alcohol-caused cancer cases were linked to heavy or risky drinking, even moderate or low levels of alcohol consumption were estimated to have caused cases. The data indicated that drinking up to 10g of alcohol a day equivalent to a half pint or small glass of wine contributed somewhere between 35,400 and 145,800 cases globally in 2020.

The figures are likely to be underestimates, not least because they do not take into account former drinking and only include cancers where there is strong evidence of alcohol being the cause. Other complications include the risk estimates not being specific to particular populations.
Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UKs chief executive, said the research demonstrated that there was still lots of work to do to prevent alcohol-related cancers.
She said: Theres strong evidence that drinking alcohol can cause seven types of cancer, and the more someone drinks the greater their risk. Theres no safe level of drinking, but whatever your drinking habits cutting down can reduce your risk of cancer. Minimum unit pricing for alcohol, introduced in Scotland and Wales and shortly in Northern Ireland, would be a positive step for England and we urge the government to introduce it here.

breaking news - alcohol is bad for you

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#blazeit

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Well, shit. I just bought a bottle of wine.

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Yes, the only safe amount of alcohol consumption is 0

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I still drink but I haven't gotten legit drunk in years, and I'm not even an "I like a beer after work" guy anymore either. I think I could live without it entirely but it's such a convenient crutch in social situations. I don't even mean that like "I need it to loosen up" but if I go to a party or something it just feels weird to not have a drink in hand

I have a feeling this hits those that love to drink and do it very often, if you are the type to have say 3-4 drinks a month it probably becomes a far smaller problem.

Obviously any amount of drinking can have this affect, but you gotta figure the guy that drinks 10 beers a week at minimum gets hit harder.

VeeVees posted...

breaking news - alcohol is bad for you

However, public awareness appears low: one UK survey, in 2018, found only one in 10 people were aware that alcohol could cause cancer.

Clench281 posted...

Yes, the only safe amount of alcohol consumption is 0

Indeed.

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/24/641618937/no-amount-of-alcohol-is-good-for-your-health-global-study-claims

The myth of the "one glass of wine w/ dinner is good for you" was spread by "studies" paid for by the alcohol lobby and it's been found repeatedly since then that no alcohol is still better for your health than a small amount.
But it's been spread so widely (and let's face it, it's "health news" that many people want to hear, which helps) that people largely don't realize that yes, even in small servings, they're harming themselves long-term.

streamofthesky posted...

The myth of the "one glass of wine w/ dinner is good for you" was spread by "studies" paid for by the alcohol lobby and it's been found repeatedly since then that no alcohol is still better for your health than a small amount.
But it's been spread so widely (and let's face it, it's "health news" that many people want to hear, which helps) that people largely don't realize that yes, even in small servings, they're harming themselves long-term.

I think the argument wasn't that there was alcohol in it, but, there was other stuff in the grape juice part that was good.

It also causes partying

And auto collisions

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Clench281 posted...

Yes, the only safe amount of alcohol consumption is 0

https://i.imgur.com/lNUh0uV.gif

streamofthesky posted...

Indeed.

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/24/641618937/no-amount-of-alcohol-is-good-for-your-health-global-study-claims

The myth of the "one glass of wine w/ dinner is good for you" was spread by "studies" paid for by the alcohol lobby and it's been found repeatedly since then that no alcohol is still better for your health than a small amount.
But it's been spread so widely (and let's face it, it's "health news" that many people want to hear, which helps) that people largely don't realize that yes, even in small servings, they're harming themselves long-term.

Kinda unsurprising, but it was so prevalent I never really questioned it.

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Everyone is acting like this wasn't already known. It's one of the main causes of oral, esophageal, stomach, and liver cancers.

Is the "new" part of this that it also contributes to other cancers like breast cancer?

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For how prevalent alcohol consumption is, that's a pretty small global number.

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Its not like I ever really drink anyways. I lost basically all taste for it after I stopped going to parties 4 days a week.

It just sucks! Id rather smoke.

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Aside from metastasis of the same cancer... I wonder if cancer causes cancer

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faramir77 posted...

Everyone is acting like this wasn't already known. It's one of the main causes of oral, esophageal, stomach, and liver cancers.

Is the "new" part of this that it also contributes to other cancers like breast cancer?

I didn't know about the oral cancel. That was a surprise. (And I guess I didn't realize the liver cancer, but I associate it with other liver problems.)


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Monopoman posted...

Obviously any amount of drinking can have this affect, but you gotta figure the guy that drinks 10 beers a week at minimum gets hit harder.

Well that is certainly me. I usually drink about 4-5 units on a Friday and occasionally one other day of the week i'll have 2-3. Been drinking that way once a week for the past 13 years. I'm not here for a long time, i'm here for a good time.