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Since the 1980s, doctors have known about a link between drinking alcohol and developing certain types of cancer. But is alcohol a carcinogen? In recent years, scientific evidence confirms that it definitely is.

In January 2025, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a statement detailing how alcohol causes some cancers. The report states that even moderate drinking raises your risk of developing breast, liver, and other cancers.

Here’s what you need to know about the relationship between alcohol and cancer — and what you can do to decrease your risks.

What Does Alcohol Do to Your Body?

Alcohol is the common term for ethanol or ethyl alcohol, a chemical substance found in beer, wine, and liquor (distilled spirits).

Most people know that drinking alcohol can cause short-term effects like a feeling of euphoria, lowered inhibitions, and impulsive behavior. You may also experience headaches, loss of coordination, or even loss of consciousness (blackout) from drinking too much.

Drinking alcohol can also lead to longer-term effects on your health. It can:

• Affect how the brain works, changing your mood and behavior.
• Damage the heart and raise your blood pressure, increasing your risk of stroke.
• Lead to liver problems, including fibrosis and cirrhosis.
• Lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation of the pancreas.
• Weaken your immune system, putting you at risk for increased infections.

Does Alcohol Cause Cancer?

The short answer is yes: Alcohol can cause cancer. In fact, it’s the third leading cause of preventable cancer in the U.S. Only tobacco and obesity cause more preventable cases of cancer.

Alcohol contributes to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths per year in the U.S.

Here are four ways that alcohol causes cancer. Alcohol:

• Alters hormone levels — This includes estrogen, which increases breast cancer risk.
• Breaks down into acetaldehyde — This chemical compound damages your DNA in different ways, causing an increased risk of cancer.
• Induces oxidative stress — This imbalance at the cellular level increases inflammation (and the risk of cancer) by damaging DNA, proteins, and cells.
• Leads to greater absorption of carcinogens — These substances cause cancer. This is especially true for particles of tobacco smoke, which dissolve in alcohol.

Types of Alcohol-Related Cancers

Researchers have identified seven types of cancer with direct links to alcohol consumption. They are:

• Breast cancer.
• Colon and rectal cancer.
• Esophageal cancer.
• Liver cancer.
• Mouth cancer.
• Throat cancer.
• Voice box (larynx) cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common alcohol-related cancer in women. Colorectal cancer is the most common alcohol-related cancer in men.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 86% of new alcohol-related cancers happen in people 50 or older.

Is pancreatic cancer alcohol-related?

Drinking alcohol may also increase the risk of cancer of the stomach, pancreas, and possibly other cancers as well. Doctors continue to study the link between alcohol and other types of cancer.

In general, the more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk for multiple types of cancer. Smoking along with using alcohol also greatly increases your risk of getting cancer, especially of the mouth and throat.

How Much Is Too Much Alcohol?

According to the surgeon general’s report, 72% of adults in the U.S. consume one or more alcoholic drinks per week.

An alcoholic drink is:

• 1.5 ounces (a “shot”) of 80-proof distilled spirits.
• 12 ounces of beer.
• 5 ounces of wine.
• 8 to 10 ounces of malt liquor.

According to the CDC, people who drink alcohol should limit their consumption to:

• One drink or less per day for women.
• Two drinks or less per day for men.

While the risk of cancer is lower at lower levels of alcohol use, it’s still present. About 83% of U.S. alcohol-related cancer deaths occur at levels above these recommended guidelines. But the remaining 17% of alcohol-related cancer deaths occur within those recommended limits.

The type of alcohol you drink — beer, wine, spirits — doesn’t make a difference in your cancer risk. The amount of alcohol you drink over time seems to be the most important factor in increasing cancer risk.

How to Lower Your Risk of Getting Alcohol-Related Cancer

The best way to avoid getting alcohol-related cancer is to never drink alcohol in the first place. Doing so will also lower your risk of other health problems like liver disease, heart disease, and stroke.

If you do drink alcohol, it’s better to drink in moderation. Lowering your alcohol intake may not immediately reduce your cancer risk, but the risks will eventually decline. There are also other health benefits from cutting back on alcohol — you may lose weight, sleep better, and get sick less frequently.

But if drinking is an ingrained habit or you have an alcohol use disorder, that’s easier said than done.

Here are some ways to cut back on alcohol.

• Enlist support — Let friends and family members know you intend to drink less and ask for their support. Talk to your doctor about your plan to cut back.
• Manage your triggers — If you tend to overdo it when you go out with certain friends, limit those activities. Meet for lunch or coffee instead of happy hour, and avoid situations where drinking is the primary focus.
• Measure and count your drinks — Having a “big pour” is easy when you’re not paying attention. Measuring drinks gives you a realistic picture of how much you’re drinking.
• Plan ahead — Mindfully schedule alcohol-free days each week and log them in a calendar. Plan for how many drinks you’ll have in a given situation, like one glass of wine with dinner.
• Quit smoking — Because alcohol and tobacco often go together, it might be best to cut back on both at the same time. Avoid social situations where you might be more tempted to light up a cigarette while having a drink. Treatment for smoking cessation is available.
• Seek help — If you suspect you have an alcohol use disorder, get professional help. Or, an individual counseling situation or 12-step program might be right for you.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on January 20, 2025, and was last reviewed on February 27, 2025.