A global study shows that p to 4% of newly diagnosed cancer cases in 2020 may be related to alcohol consumption.
Researchers are now calling for increased public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer and increased government interventions to reduce alcohol consumption in the most affected areas.
the man Studies estimate that it accounts for 77% (568,700) of alcohol-related cancer cases, while women account for 23% (172,600) of cases.
Esophageal cancer, liver cancer and breast cancer accounted for the largest number of cases.
Public health strategies, such as reducing the supply of alcohol, placing health warnings and marketing bans on alcohol products, can reduce the incidence of alcohol-induced cancers
Harriet Rumgay of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), France Said: “We urgently need to raise the awareness of policy makers and the public on the link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk.
“Public health strategies, such as reducing the supply of alcohol, putting health warnings and marketing bans on alcohol products, can reduce the incidence of alcohol-induced cancer.
“tax Pricing policies that have led to a reduction in alcohol intake in Europe, including higher consumption taxes and minimum unit pricing, can also be implemented in other parts of the world.
“The local environment is critical to a successful alcohol consumption policy, and it is also the key to reducing cancer cases related to alcohol consumption.”
Based on data from previous years, the study estimates that there will be more than 6.3 million cases of oral cancer, pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer (larynx cancer), esophageal cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer in 2020.
The researchers said that these cancers have a clear causal relationship with alcohol consumption, and the estimation of a direct association with alcohol in the new study is the first such cancer in 2020.
However, the global health care service interruption due to the coronavirus pandemic may affect the diagnosis rate this year and may lead to an underestimation of new cancer cases in the recorded data.
However, this will not be reflected in the study because the estimate for 2020 is based on recorded data from previous years.
alcohol Consumption can cause DNA damage by increasing the production of harmful chemicals in the body, and affect the production of hormones, which can lead to the development of cancer.
Alcohol can also exacerbate the carcinogenic effects of other substances (such as tobacco).
The researchers determined the per capita alcohol intake in each country in 2010-considering the time it takes for alcohol intake to affect possible cancer The number of alcohol-related cancers in the country. country.
They use alcohol production data, tax and sales data, surveys and opinions on unrecorded alcohol intake, and travel alcohol consumption data to estimate alcohol intake to show how much alcohol people drink every day.
Moderate drinking is classified as an intake of 0.1 to 20 grams per day, which is equivalent to up to two glasses of alcoholic beverages, dangerous drinking is 20 to 60 grams per day, drinking 2 to 6 grams per day, and heavy drinking is more than 60 grams per day and more than six per day. Glass of alcoholic beverage.
To estimate the effect of drinking on each type of cancer, the researchers used data from existing scientific reports that outline the risk of cancer caused by drinking (for every 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day).
Globally, it is estimated that 4% (741,300) of all new cancer cases in 2020 are related to drinking.
The study found that high-risk drinking and heavy drinking led to the largest proportion of cancer cases, 39% (291,800) and 47% (346,400), respectively.
However, moderate drinking is a problem, and it is estimated that this level of drinking accounts for 14% of the total number of alcohol-related cases (103,100 cases).
East Asia and Central Asia Eastern Europe The proportion of alcohol-related cancer cases is the highest, at 6%, and the proportions are the lowest in North Africa and West Asia, both below 1%.
It is estimated that 4% of cancer cases in the UK are alcohol-related (16,800), 3% (52,700) in the United States, 4% (20,500) in Brazil, 5% (62,100) in India, and 6% (282,300) in China). Germany is 4% (21,500) and France is 5% (20,000 cases).
The study has several limitations, including the potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the main study analysis did not consider previous alcohol consumption, or any relationship between tobacco or obesity and alcohol.
The research was published in The Lancet Oncology.
