Increased Alcohol Use Linked with Higher Risk of Cancer in New Study

People who increased the amount of alcohol they drank also had an increased risk of cancer, according to the results of a large study in Korea published on Wednesday in JAMA Network Open.

The study found that people who increased the amount they drank had a higher risk of all cancers, including alcohol-related cancers, than the group that made no changes to their drinking habits.

 

The risk also increased for non-drinkers who changed their habits and became mild, moderate or heavy drinkers.

 

"This is another great example of how changing behavior could significantly decrease cancer deaths," Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society, told CNN in an email. "The most striking finding is the impact on cancer deaths with changes in alcohol consumption. Individuals should be strongly counseled that they can dramatically decrease their cancer risk if alcohol consumption is moderated."