Most of us are aware that smoking is a leading cause of cancer, and that drinking alcohol can also have deleterious effects on our health. But the U.S. Surgeon General recently published an advisory underscoring that alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., after tobacco and obesity – and increases the risk for at least seven types of cancer.
While scientific evidence for this connection has been growing over the past four decades, less than half of Americans recognize it as a risk factor for cancer, according to Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” said Dr. Murthy said upon releasing the advisory on Jan. 3.
The advisory outlines the scientific evidence for the causal link between alcohol consumption and increased risk for such cancers as breast (in women; 16.4% of total breast cancer cases are attributable to alcohol consumption), colorectum, esophagus, voice box, liver, mouth, and throat. The type of alcohol being consumed – beer, wine, or spirits – does not matter, the admonition states.
Medical oncologist and hematologist Dr. Yael Zack, who founded and leads the Young Women’s Program for Cancer Care at White Plains Hospital’s Center for Cancer Care, has long advised against alcohol consumption and applauds the Surgeon General’s latest move. “For cancer prevention, we should avoid alcohol altogether,” she says, “but my general guidelines are to limit alcohol intake to 1-2 times per week, or even less frequently.”
Just as there is no “safe” number of cigarettes you can smoke per day, any amount of alcohol consumption can also raise your cancer risk. Alcohol can damage your DNA in multiple ways as your body works to break it down, possibly resulting in mutations and DNA strand breaks which ultimately increase the risk of cancer, especially in tissues exposed to high levels of alcohol like the mouth and throat.
The timing of the Surgeon General’s advisory is made even more relevant by the annual arrival of “Dry January,” an initiative first developed by UK charity Alcohol Change UK in 2013. As its name suggests, the program challenges participants to forego all alcohol for the month of January, in the hopes that the resulting weight loss and other benefits may encourage curtailing or even eliminating alcohol use after Jan. 31.
Dr. Zack says that, in addition to Dry January, she recommends the following tips she learned from White Plains Hospital Registered Dietician Cheryl Leslie:
- Have alcohol-free days
- Find other outlets for relaxation instead of having an alcoholic beverage
- Don’t make having a glass of wine part of your food prep
- Limit alcohol consumption to only when socializing
- Alternate every other drink with a glass of water or seltzer
- Have a wine spritzer instead of a glass of wine
- Offer to be the designated driver at gatherings
- Enjoy many of the alcohol-free options that are now available
These recommendations underscore how, for many people, one’s alcohol consumption can be prudently self-regulated. “Essentially I tell patients that since we have control over this risk factor, we should definitely take control,” Dr. Zack says.
Of course, self-management may not be sufficient in some cases. For those patients, Dr. Zack recommends consulting a therapist; a list of White Plains facilities can be found here.
Dr. Yael Zack is a hematologist and medical oncologist at the White Plains Hospital Center for Cancer Care and White Plains Hospital Physician Associates in New Rochelle locations. To make an appointment with Dr. Zack, call 914.849.7600 at the Cancer Center or 914.849.7600 in New Rochelle.