Alcohol and Cancer: Existing Knowledge and Evidence Gaps across the Cancer Continuum.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Cancer Epidemiology

Background:

• Alcoholic beverages are a known human carcinogen.
• Alcohol consumption was linked to 4.1% of global cancer cases in 2020.
• Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding alcohol's role in cancer development and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current knowledge on alcohol and cancer.
• To identify critical research gaps concerning alcohol's carcinogenic effects.
• To explore strategies for increasing public awareness and reducing alcohol-related cancer burden.

Main Methods:

• Convened a U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) expert workshop and public webinar in December 2020.
• Reviewed existing scientific literature on alcohol consumption and cancer.
• Identified and discussed key knowledge gaps and future research directions.

Main Results:

• Identified specific knowledge gaps including life-course consumption patterns, systemic carcinogenic effects, and impact on treatment/prognosis.
• Highlighted the need for better communication strategies to raise public awareness of the alcohol-cancer link.
• Emphasized the unclear relationship between alcohol control policies and cancer incidence/mortality.

Conclusions:

• Interdisciplinary research is essential to address identified knowledge gaps.
• Implementation efforts are needed to develop effective interventions.
• Reducing harmful alcohol consumption is crucial to decrease the overall cancer burden.