Alcohol consumption. A leading risk factor for cancer

Jürgen Rehm1, Kevin D Shield2, Elisabete Weiderpass3

  • 1WHO Collaboration Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada; Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 6th floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M7, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Room 2374, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada; Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy & Center of Clinical Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies (CELOS), Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany.

Summary

Alcohol consumption was a major cause of cancer deaths globally in 2016. Reducing alcohol intake and addressing interacting risk factors can decrease the burden of alcohol-related cancers.

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