Reducing Alcohol Use to Prevent Cancer Deaths: Estimated Effects Among U.S. Adults

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting alcohol intake to one drink per day for women and two for men.
• Even moderate alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of certain cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the number of annual alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the U.S.
• To determine the potential number of cancer deaths preventable by reducing excessive alcohol consumption to recommended levels.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2020-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for alcohol consumption prevalence.
• Applied relative risks to calculate population-attributable fractions for alcohol-related cancers.
• Adjusted consumption data with per capita alcohol sales to account for underreporting.

Main Results:

• An estimated 20,216 cancer deaths were alcohol-attributable annually in the U.S. during 2020-2021.
• Approximately 16,800 deaths (83%) could be prevented if excessive drinkers adhered to guidelines.
• An additional 650 deaths could be prevented if men reduced intake from two to one drink daily.

Conclusions:

• Reducing excessive alcohol consumption can significantly decrease alcohol-attributable cancer deaths.
• Evidence-based alcohol policies and clinical interventions can complement each other to lower cancer rates.