The U.S. Surgeon General has released a 2025 advisory warning about the dangers of alcohol consumption, citing a link between it and various types of cancer. The advisory highlights that drinking more frequently increases the risk of developing cancer, with drinks having higher alcohol content also linked to increased risk.
According to Dr. Mohammad Christi, a hematologist and oncologist at Corewell Health, the risks associated with alcohol have been downplayed in the United States, resulting in an uninformed population. New studies over the last decade have strengthened what the health industry previously suspected.
The Surgeon General’s report is based on a global analysis of 572 studies examining data from 486,538 cancer cases, finding that alcohol is associated with greater cancer risk. The findings show that acetaldehyde, a byproduct of alcohol consumption, can damage DNA and increase the growth of cancerous cells.
Dr. Christi emphasized the importance of informing primary care physicians and the community about the link between alcohol and increased cancer risk to improve survival rates. He also noted that updating health warnings on alcoholic beverages could increase awareness about the risks associated with excessive drinking.
The Surgeon General’s report cites 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and 20,000 deaths annually in the U.S., which is more than deaths from alcohol-related traffic crashes. Women are particularly at risk due to their lower estrogen levels, which may be a catalyst for breast cancer.
To reduce the risks associated with drinking, Dr. Christi advises limiting consumption and increasing education about alcohol’s effects on health. The report can be downloaded from hhs.gov, providing more information on the link between alcohol and cancer risk.
Source: https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2025/01/alcohol-increases-your-cancer-risk-heres-what-to-know.html