Alcohol may be a part of celebrations or social events, but drinking it—even in small amounts—can harm your health. Experts say it affects many parts of your body, including your brain, heart, lungs, muscles, digestive system, and immune system. One of the most serious risks is cancer.
In the United States, alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer. It is responsible for around 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer-related deaths every year. For comparison, car crashes linked to alcohol cause about 13,500 deaths each year.
Scientists have known since the 1980s that alcohol can cause cancer. Studies have shown a clear link between alcohol and cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, food pipe, liver, colon, rectum, and breast. Other research has also connected heavy or frequent drinking to pancreatic cancer.
In 2000, the US National Toxicology Program listed alcohol as a known cause of cancer. Later, in 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World Health Organization) classified alcohol as a “Group 1 carcinogen.” This means there is strong evidence that alcohol can cause cancer in humans.
Health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) agree that alcohol clearly causes several types of cancer. The US dietary guidelines also say that even low amounts of alcohol—less than one drink a day—can increase the risk.
However, many people are not aware of this. A 2019 survey showed that less than half of American adults knew that alcohol raises cancer risk.
Alcohol use is also very common. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 224 million Americans aged 12 and older have had alcohol at some point in their lives—that’s over 79% of the population in that age group. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol use was already increasing, which is now a growing concern for public health.
One researcher studying how alcohol affects the body explained that their team is looking into how it causes cancer. They are especially focused on how alcohol harms immune cells and the liver.
How does alcohol cause cancer?
Cancer happens when cells in the body grow out of control. Alcohol can damage DNA, leading to mutations that interrupt the normal process of cell growth and repair. A report by the US surgeon general in 2025 lists four main ways alcohol can lead to cancer, including DNA damage and liver injury.
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