A new study has found that cancer deaths caused by alcohol have almost doubled in the United States since 1990, resulting in over 23,000 lives lost each year. The research, led by the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami, analyzed national mortality records and found that the number of deaths attributable to drinking rose from under 12,000 to just over 23,000 during the span.
The study highlights a concerning trend among men older than 55, whose alcohol-related cancer mortality has risen by almost one percent each year since 2007. The researchers suggest that public understanding lags behind the science and hope that their analysis will prompt physicians and patients to take action.
The study found that liver, colorectal, and esophageal cancers show the steepest increases in alcohol-linked deaths, with alcohol accounting for nearly 50% more deaths than it did thirty years ago. The researchers believe that local drinking culture, socioeconomic status, and access to healthcare are key factors influencing these differences.
Experts call for a multipronged response, including frank discussions of alcohol intake during routine medical visits, warning labels on alcoholic beverages, mass-media campaigns, excise taxes, and targeted outreach programs. They argue that every drink carries more than social consequences and that confronting the reality of alcohol’s link to cancer is essential to pushing cancer deaths downward.
The study underscores how behavioral choices can undermine medical progress, and the nation needs to address this issue through education, clinical practice, and public policy to keep pushing cancer deaths downward rather than letting alcohol erase hard-won victories in treatment and prevention.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-related-cancer-deaths-rise-steeply-in-the-united-states