Impact of alcohol consumption on selected cancer incidence trends among adults in the United States, 2008 to 2019

Alcohol consumption is a risk factor for certain cancers and is on the rise in the United States. A study estimated the impact of alcohol consumption on cancer incidence trends in the United States from 2008 to 2019 across six alcohol-related cancers among men and women. Average daily alcohol consumption (ADC) was calculated from the National Health Interview Survey (1998–2009) and adjusted to per capita sales data to account for underreporting of alcohol use. Population-attributable fractions (PAF) were determined by combining RRs from large meta-analyses with annual ADC estimates for six cancers: female breast cancer, colorectal cancer, oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, laryngeal cancer, liver cancer, and oral and pharyngeal cancer, assuming a 10-year latency period. PAF estimates were integrated with cancer registry data to determine incidence rates attributable (and not attributable) to ADCs.
The highest PAFs were observed for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, ranging from 13.9% to 16.7% in women and 26.6% to 28.7% in men. The largest increase in overall alcohol-attributable cancer rates was for breast cancer among women, rising from 6.6 to 8.1 cases per 100,000. High ADC contributed to most cancer cases; however, even low ADC levels increased cancer risk. An estimated 18,463 of 297,790 new US breast cancer cases will be attributable to alcohol, with 4,958 due to low consumption.
The researchers conclude that PAFs for alcohol-related cancers have risen among both women and men. Implementing strategies to reduce alcohol consumption at the population level could help decrease the incidence of alcohol-associated cancers.
Source: Greene, N.K., Reyes-Guzman, C.M., Baker, L. et al. (2025). Impact of alcohol consumption on selected cancer incidence trends among adults in the United States, 2008 to 2019. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, 34 (11): 2095–2103.