Our Terms & Conditions | Our Privacy Policy
Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States rose from below 12,000 in 1990 to more than 23,000 in 2021. These findings will be presented next week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago. Read on to know more.
New Delhi:
Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States have doubled over the past 30 years, with a disproportionate impact on men and individuals aged 55 and older. It rose from below 12,000 in 1990 to more than 23,000 in 2021. These findings will be presented next week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago and is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
For the study, the researchers analysed national death rates attributable to alcohol use between 1990 to 2021. Speaking to ABC News, Dr. Chinmay Jani, the study’s lead author and a clinical fellow in haematology and oncology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center said, “We already know other risk factors, such as tobacco, for cancer. However, it is very important to know that alcohol is also a risk factor and can be a carcinogen in many different cancers.”
Dr. Jani further explains that according to the study, any amount of alcohol has the potential to harm health. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are drinking every day. For the study, the researchers focused on seven alcohol-related cancers, which include breast, liver, colorectal, throat, voice box, mouth and oesophagal. While alcohol isn’t responsible for every case of these cancers, it has been shown to be a driving factor in a percentage of them.
The study found that in 1991, 2.5% of all cancer deaths in men and 1.46% in women were related to alcohol. In 2021, those percentages rose to 4.2% and 1.85%, respectively. Over that same time period, men saw a 56% increase in deaths from alcohol-related cancers specifically. For women, it was nearly 8%, said a report in NBC News.
Dr. Jani said, “It was not surprising that it was higher in men, but it was certainly surprising how much higher it was in men versus women.”
NBC News says that cancer deaths were highest among people 55 and older. In men in this age group, alcohol-related cancer deaths rose by more than 1% every year between 2007 and 2021.
Dr. Jani said, “The carcinogenic effect probably isn’t affecting you right away in your younger age, but as you continue to drink as you age, this carcinogen has an accumulative effect on the body.”
Of all seven alcohol-related cancers, liver, colorectal and oesophagal cancers were the deadliest overall in 2021. In men specifically, liver cancer deaths were most common. For women, it was breast cancer.
Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
ALSO READ: Do you feel breathless after climbing stairs? It could be an early sign of these health issues
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.
Aggregated From –
Comments are closed.