Deaths tied to alcohol-related cancers have climbed sharply over the last several decades, according to new research.
Scientists say the danger may begin when the body metabolizes alcohol, producing acetaldehyde, a toxic compound that can damage healthy cells and create conditions that allow cancer cells to grow.
Because of that evidence, alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen — the highest-risk category, reserved for substances proven to cause cancer in humans.
Mounting research has raised particular concern about alcohol’s association with colon, liver and stomach cancers, at a time when several of these diseases are increasing among younger Americans.
Now, researchers in Florida are warning that cancer deaths attributable to alcohol are rising across the United States.
After reviewing 33 years of health data from thousands of Americans, the team found that alcohol-attributable cancer deaths doubled, increasing from roughly 11,400 in 1990 to 23,100 in 2023.
Among adults younger than 55, colon and breast cancers accounted for the leading alcohol-related cancer deaths, while esophageal, prostate and pancreatic cancers also showed striking growth.
The researchers said the findings underscore alcohol’s growing role as a major modifiable risk factor for cancer, particularly among younger adults.
Alcohol-related cancer deaths have doubled in the last three decades, a new study warns
‘The most surprising finding was the breadth of alcohol’s potential impact across cancer types,’ Dr Chinmay Jani, corresponding study author and chief fellow in hematology and oncology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami, said.
‘Although its relationship with liver cancer is widely recognized, its contribution to cancers such as colorectal, esophageal, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer is less well understood by the public.’
The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans urges adults to ‘consume less alcohol for better overall health.’ Previous guidelines suggested men have less than two drinks per day while women have one.
The new study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, looked at cancer death rates and alcohol-related cancer death rates between 1990 and 2023 for 10 different forms of cancer: esophageal, stomach, liver, larynx, breast, prostate, colorectal, lip and oral cavity, pharynx and pancreatic.
The researchers used statistical modeling to calculate which deaths were related to alcohol-consumption.
Overall, alcohol-attributable cancer deaths increased from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023, a 103 percent rise. Men and adults over 55 saw the highest concentrations of deaths, and the leading cause of alcohol-related death was liver cancer, followed by esophageal and colorectal cancers.
The above graph shows cancer mortality rates in men and women, further divided by people 20 to 54 and those age 55 and older
When looking at data for sexes combined, there were increases in alcohol-related deaths from all cancers studied except liver cancer. The greatest increase (57 percent) was in deaths from stomach cancer, followed by 40.5 percent for pancreatic cancer and 39.7 percent for colorectal cancer.
In men ages 20 to 54, colorectal cancer was the leading cause of alcohol-related death, followed by esophageal cancer. For women in the same age group, the leading cause was breast cancer, followed by colorectal cancer.
Alcohol-related deaths among older men were highest for liver cancer, followed by esophageal and colorectal cancers. Breast cancer was the most common form in older women.
‘Notably, among adults aged 20 to 54, colorectal cancer was the leading cause of alcohol-attributable cancer mortality in men and the second leading cause in women, surpassing liver cancer in both groups,’ Jani said.
The study also looked at state-by-state alcohol-related cancer death data and found that in 2023, Washington DC had the highest rate for both sexes, followed by Texas for men and Alaska for women.
Utah, meanwhile, had the lowest rate for both sexes, which may be due to the state consistently recording the country’s lowest alcohol consumption rate. Washington DC, meanwhile, has some of the nation’s highest wine consumption and binge drinking rates, according to 2025 Gallup research. Those researchers attributed the rates to the area’s young professionals.
‘What this study makes clear is that alcohol-related cancer risk is not limited to one disease or one group of people,’ Dr Gilberto Lopes, senior study author and chief of the Division of Medical Oncology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, said.
‘As physicians and cancer researchers, we have an opportunity to help patients understand that alcohol is a modifiable risk factor and that even small, informed changes can be part of a broader strategy to reduce cancer risk in our community.’
The researchers stressed the importance of raising awareness of alcohol’s relationship to cancer, especially for forms of the disease beyond liver cancer.
‘The most important takeaway is greater awareness that alcohol may affect cancer risk beyond the liver,’ Jani said.
‘These findings highlight alcohol as a potentially modifiable risk factor, and while the lowest safe dose is not yet known, this study suggests that reducing consumption to the lowest amount feasible for each individual may help lessen its impact on cancer risk and overall health.’
