• Posted December 15, 2025

Too Much Drinking Contributes To Cancer Risk, Study Says

A new evidence review offers some sobering info for folks preparing to raise more than a couple celebratory glasses during Christmas or New Year’s.

Alcohol significantly increases a person’s risk of developing a wide range of cancers, and that risk rises further as more is imbibed, researchers reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology.

“Across 50 studies in our review, higher alcohol consumption consistently raised cancer risk, with risk increasing as intake grows,” senior researcher  Lea Sacca, an assistant professor of population health at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, said in a news release.

Drinking also worsened a person’s odds of surviving cancer, researchers added.

For the new study, researchers analyzed data from 62 previous studies, with sample sizes ranging from 80 to nearly 100 million participants.

Results showed that higher alcohol intake increased cancer risk, especially for breast, colon, liver, mouth, throat and GI cancers.

On the other hand, people who followed American Cancer Society (ACS) guidelines for alcohol and healthy lifestyle choices had a lower risk of developing or dying from cancer, researchers found.

The ACS recommends that people limit alcohol intake to two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

“Heavy, daily or binge drinking is strongly linked to multiple cancers, highlighting the importance of moderation and following cancer prevention guidelines,” Sacca said.

African Americans, people genetically predisposed to cancer, and folks with obesity or diabetes had even higher cancer risk from alcohol, researchers found.

Many other factors also played a role alongside alcohol, however.

“Factors like type of alcohol, age of first exposure, gender, race, smoking, family history and genetics all influence risk,” Sacca said. “Certain groups – older adults, socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, and those with comorbidities – are especially vulnerable.”

For example, white wine or beer were linked to a higher risk of certain cancers, while liquor often was not, researchers found.

There also were gender differences. Frequent drinking increased cancer risk among men, while occasional heavy drinking increased risk for women.

There are many ways alcohol can increase a person’s cancer risk, researchers said.

“Biologically, alcohol can damage DNA through acetaldehyde, alter hormone levels, trigger oxidative stress, suppress the immune system and increase carcinogen absorption,” said researcher Dr. Lewis Nelson, dean and chief of health affairs at FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine.

“These effects are compounded by pre-existing health conditions, lifestyle choices and genetic predispositions, all of which can accelerate cancer development,” Nelson added in a news release.

FAU researcher Dr. Maria Carmenza Mejia said the findings highlight another factor underlying risk.

“Our findings underscore that alcohol-related cancer risk is not driven by alcohol alone, but by a complex interplay of biological, behavioral and social factors,” Meija, a professor of population health, said in a news release.

“Recognizing how these forces intersect – shaping exposure, vulnerability and long-term health outcomes – is essential for building a more accurate understanding of cancer risk,” she said. “This broader perspective reminds us that effective prevention goes beyond reducing alcohol consumption; it requires addressing the environments, habits and underlying health conditions that magnify its impact.”

More information

The American Cancer Society has more on alcohol and cancer.

SOURCE: Florida Atlantic University, news release, Dec. 11, 2025