Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Changes in Mammary Gland Morphology and Breast Cancer Risk in Rats
Published on: October 16, 2010
Does Alcohol Use Affect Cancer Risk?
Jürgen Rehm1,2,3,4,5,6,7, Isabelle Soerjomataram8, Carina Ferreira-Borges9
1Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Room T420, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada. jtrehm@gmail.com.
Purpose Of Review:
To provide an overview of the risk relationships between alcohol use and cancer and of the alcohol-attributable cancer burden; to highlight areas of controversy in the alcohol-cancer relationship; to examine the reasons why these risk relationships have not received greater public attention.
Recent Findings:
In 2016, alcohol caused an estimated 376,200 cancer deaths, 10.0 million cancer years of life lost (YLLs), 236,600 cancer years lived with disability (YLDs), and 10.3 million cancer disability-adjusted years of life (DALYs), representing 4.2%, 4.2%, 4.6%, and 4.2% of all deaths, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs lost due to cancer, respectively, proportionally highest in high- and upper-middle-income countries. Alcohol use is a major contributor to cancer and is linked to the most prevalent types of cancer. No threshold for the effects of alcohol on cancer has yet been identified, and thus, abstinence is best for cancer prevention. Greater public awareness of the relationship between alcohol use and cancer is advisable.
Related Concept Videos
Role of Affect in Interpersonal Attraction
The Influence of Affect on Cognition
The Influence of Cognition on Affect
Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
Oxidation of Alcohols
The process of oxidation in a chemical reaction is observed in any of the three forms:
Relative Risk

