Alcohol & Cancer
Alcohol & Cancer
Alcohol is a group 1 carcinogen, which means that there is enough evidence to show that alcohol causes cancer.
To put this into context, other group 1 carcinogens include UV radiation and tobacco smoke.
To put this into context, other group 1 carcinogens include UV radiation and tobacco smoke.
Alcohol is a risk factor contributing to seven types of cancer:
- Bowel cancer
- Breast cancer
- Laryngeal cancer (voice box)
- Liver cancer
- Mouth cancer
- Oesophageal cancer (food pipe)
- Pharyngeal cancer (upper throat).
How does alcohol increase cancer risk?
- DNA mutations
When we drink any kind of alcohol, it is turned in to a chemical called acetaldehyde. This compound can irritate and inflame your organs and tissues. As your body tries to repair itself, it can set off mistakes in your DNA that lets cancerous cells grow. - Hormones
Alcohol can increase the levels of some hormones such as oestrogen and insulin. Hormones act as messengers in the body, giving our cells instructions - including when to grow and divide. - Smoking
Alcohol directly damages cells it comes into contact with, for example in the mouth and throat which may make it easier for other carcinogens to be absorbed. This also means smoking and drinking together increases your risk of developing throat and mouth cancer more than doing either on their own. - Cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver
This is often caused by excessive drinking, and increases the risk of liver cancer. - Nutrients
Alcohol makes the body less able to absorb key vitamins and other nutrients that can affect cancer risk. These include folate, a B vitamin. - Weight gain
Alcohol contains a lot of calories. Being overweight or obese is linked to many types of cancer.
What can I do to decrease my risk?
To avoid these impacts, it is important to stick to the
low-risk drinking guidelines. If you currently drink a lot, reducing the amount you drink now will still decrease your risk of cancer compared to if you keep drinking at high levels.
Not sure if your drinking is putting your health at risk? Check your drinking by taking the
Alcohol Test
today – it is completely confidential and only takes a couple of minutes.
Want to know how risky your drinking is?
Alcohol can have a big impact on your health - take the test to see how your drinking measures up.
The service is free and open to all Brent residents aged 18 or over, as well as their families and carers.
