Any alcohol consumption increases cancer risk
Any level of alcohol use is a cause of cancer and there is no evidence that there is a safe threshold of alcohol consumption to avoid cancer, according to Cancer Council Australia’s position statement published in the Medical Journal of Australia.
The Cancer Council said that there is convincing evidence that alcohol is a cause of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, bowel (in men) and breast (in women), and probable evidence that alcohol increases the risk of bowel cancer (in women) and liver cancer.
Cancer Council Australia recommends that to reduce the risk of cancer, people should limit their consumption of alcohol, or better still avoid alcohol altogether.”
The Council said that if people do drink, they should follow the guidelines for alcohol consumption as recommended by the NHMRC.
“The existing evidence does not justify the promotion of alcohol use to prevent coronary heart disease, as the previously reported role of alcohol in reducing heart disease risk in light-to-moderate drinkers appears to have been overestimated,” the authors said.
They also said alcohol use might also contribute to weight gain and therefore could be associated with cancers linked to overweight and obesity.
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
The statements or opinions that are expressed in the MJA reflect the views of the authors and do not represent the official policy of the AMA unless that is so stated.
CONTACT: Mr Glenn Turner 0412 443 212
Director, Communications, Cancer Council Australia