Alcohol and Cancer: What's the Real Story?

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken back a report that said even small amounts of alcohol can cause cancer and other health problems. This has started a big discussion among experts, groups that support certain causes, and companies that make alcohol. The report was supposed to help update the U. S. Dietary Guidelines, but now it won't be sent to Congress. The report, called the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, said that drinking even one alcoholic beverage a day can increase the risk of liver cirrhosis, oral and esophageal cancers, and injuries. But now, the researchers have been told that the report won't be submitted to Congress as originally planned. The Alcohol Intake and Health Study was one of two reports that were supposed to help update the Dietary Guidelines on alcohol consumption. The other report, from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), said that moderate drinking might be linked to fewer deaths overall and fewer heart attack and stroke deaths compared to not drinking at all. However, it also acknowledged a small but significant increase in breast cancer risk for women. Some people who were involved in the NASEM report have been criticized for having financial ties to alcohol makers. But NASEM says that the industry did not influence its conclusions. The alcohol industry has openly supported NASEM’s findings, arguing that the HHS-backed study was biased. Advocates have also accused HHS of suppressing data that could inform public health policy. Researchers behind the shelved study say they plan to submit their findings to a peer-reviewed medical journal instead. Growing research has challenged older studies suggesting that moderate drinking might be harmless or even beneficial. Studies now increasingly point to alcohol’s role in cancer risk. Earlier this year, former U. S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on alcoholic beverages, citing evidence that drinking is linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, and at least five other malignancies. The academy's report found that even occasional heavy drinking can cancel out any small potential benefits, such as a reduced risk of ischemic stroke. The key message is that drinking two drinks a day may be moderate from a social perspective, but when it comes to health, it’s a pretty risky amount. A man who drinks two drinks every day on average has a 1 in 25 chance of dying prematurely from alcohol.