US Surgeon-General Vivek Murthy wants cancer warning on alcohol: How does your drinking habit cause cancer?

Dr Murthy’s report shows that consuming alcohol increases the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer — breast, mouth, liver, colon and rectum, throat, esophagus and larynx (voice box)

HOW POISONOUS IS ALCOHOL?

“Alcohol has been confirmed as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO, for over two decades. There is no safe level of alcohol or any safe form of alcohol and hence the current pattern of usage of alcohol in India, especially among the youth, is of concern and likely to lead to an epidemic of non-communicable diseases,” says Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, Director, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, the state-of-the-art R&D wing of Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai.

HOW DOES ALCOHOL INCREASE CANCER RISK?

“Alcohol increases cancer risk by damaging DNA through a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde, which forms when alcohol is broken down in the body,” says Dr Vedang Murthy, professor of radiation oncology, Tata Memorial Centre. DNA is the cell’s instruction manual that controls how a cell grows and does its job. When DNA is damaged, a cell can grow out of control and become cancerous.

He also explains that it irritates tissues and promotes inflammation, damaging cells. Besides, alcohol also raises hormone levels like estrogen, linked to breast cancer, and interferes with the absorption of protective nutrients like folate. Additionally, it generates free radicals that can damage cells and DNA. Dr Murthy’s report says alcohol leads to greater absorption of carcinogens.

CAN INDIA’S ANTI-SMOKING CRUSADE OFFER A TEMPLATE?

Dr Murthy is looking at India’s efforts with warning labels. “Acknowledging alcohol’s health risks is a vital step in curbing its growing impact on public health, just as India has done with tobacco,” he said. He even pointed out that India’s anti-smoking campaigns, particularly the graphic warnings on the packaging and in cinema halls, have shifted public perceptions and reduced smoking’s social acceptability. “These efforts offer a model for addressing alcohol-related harms,” he added.

WHAT STUDIES SAY

A recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that of the estimated 20,000 cancer deaths each year caused by alcohol use during 2020–2021, approximately 16,800 (83 per cent) of them could have been prevented if adult drinkers had reduced their consumption to ≤2 drinks/day for men, or ≤1 drink/day for women. The study also showed that more than 650 additional deaths could have been prevented each year (totalling an 86 per cent reduction in alcohol-attributable cancer deaths) if men had consumed ≤1 drink/day.