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Alcohol Consumption Trajectories from Early Adulthood to Adulthood and Cancer Risk in Adulthood: A Systematic Review
Samira Behboudi-Gandevani1, Ingunn Jystad Brustad2, Tommy Haugan2
1Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Nord University, Bodø, Norway.
Summary
Long-term alcohol consumption patterns significantly impact cancer risk. Sustained or increasing intake elevates risk, while even light drinking poses a modest threat, with heavy drinkers showing elevated risks regardless of reduction.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Oncology
- Public Health
Background:
- Long-term alcohol consumption is linked to cancer, but life-course consumption patterns require further investigation.
- Existing literature on alcohol consumption trajectories and cancer risk is inconsistent.
- Understanding these patterns is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize existing literature on alcohol consumption trajectories and cancer risk.
- To identify common patterns of alcohol intake over a lifetime.
- To assess the association between these trajectories and overall/site-specific cancer risk.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus (2000-March 2025).
- Included observational studies reported alcohol intake at ≥2 time points and adult cancer outcomes.
- Six distinct alcohol consumption trajectories were identified and analyzed using random-effects models.
Main Results:
- Nine studies (n=3,860,679) were included. Stable light drinking showed a small increase in overall and alcohol-related cancer risk compared to abstention.
- Moderate increasing, decreasing heavy, and stable high trajectories were associated with higher cancer risks, particularly gastrointestinal cancers.
- Breast cancer risk rose with moderate increasing or stable high intake in women; genitourinary cancers showed no consistent associations.
Conclusions:
- Sustained or increasing alcohol intake from early adulthood significantly elevates cancer risk.
- Even stable light drinking is associated with a modest cancer risk.
- Reducing heavy drinking later in life does not eliminate elevated cancer risk, suggesting potential irreversible damage.
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