Alcohol-Linked Cancer Deaths Double in US

Alcohol consumption is linked to a growing number of cancer deaths in the United States, with the proportion of cancer fatalities attributable to alcohol doubling over the past 33 years, according to a new study. The research, which analyzed U.S. data from 1990 to 2023, found that alcohol's impact extends beyond liver cancer to include numerous other types, affecting adults across various age groups. The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health Americas, revealed that annual alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the U.S. rose from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023. Researchers from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine found that the percentage of cancer deaths proportionally linked to alcohol doubled over the 33-year period. While liver cancer has long been recognized as associated with alcohol, the study highlights its contribution to a broader range of cancers, including breast, prostate, colon, rectum, stomach, pancreatic, and cancers of the head and neck, as well as the esophagus.