The seven types of cancer linked to drinking alcohol

Marie-Claire Dorking
·Contributor
·8 min read
A group of friends drinking alcohol as WHO call for cancer warnings on alcohol.
The World Health Organisation is calling for cancer warnings on alcohol. (Getty Images)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for cigarette-style warnings on alcohol to raise awareness about the link between drinking and cancer.

Alcohol causes 800,000 deaths across Europe each year but just a fraction of the population is aware of the risks.

A WHO/Europe study, featured in the report, found that just 15% of respondents knew that alcohol causes breast cancer and just 39% were aware of its link to colon cancer. But these cancers account for the highest proportion of alcohol-related cancers in the EU among women (breast cancer) and men (colon cancer).

"Despite cancer being the leading cause of alcohol-attributable deaths in the European Union (EU), public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer remains alarmingly low," the WHO said.

The global health agency has repeatedly warned that alcohol causes cancer and has backed clear labelling but has never before been as intentional in calling for new government regulations.

"Alcohol health warning labels are an important part of alcohol policy, serving multiple functions," explains Dr Gauden Galea, strategic adviser to the regional director, special initiative on noncommunicable diseases and innovation at WHO/Europe.

"They empower consumers to make informed decisions, raise awareness of alcohol-attributable health risks, can increase public support for alcohol policies, and reduce the overall appeal of alcohol products, ultimately influencing social norms around drinking."

Couple choosing some red wine at local supermarket, as WHO call for warning labels on alcohol.
WHO hope the warning labels will increase awareness about the link between alcohol and certain types of cancer. (Getty Images)

The NHS says the effects of alcohol on your health will depend on how much you drink. The less you drink, the lower the health risks.

Alcohol is a group one carcinogen, which means there is enough evidence to show it can cause cancer, says Alcohol Change UK. It falls in the same category of carcinogens as UV radiation and tobacco smoke.

Drinking less than 14 units a week is considered low-risk drinking. It isn't described as "safe" because according to the NHS there is no safe drinking level.

The type of illnesses you can develop after 10 to 20 years of regularly drinking more than 14 units a week include: stroke, heart disease, liver disease, brain damage and damage to the nervous system. But it can also lead to an increased risk of many types of cancer.

"All types of alcohol can cause cancer," explains Dr Elise Dallas, GP at The London General Practice. "Alcohol gets broken down in the body into a harmful chemical. It can also affect our body's chemical signals, increasing the chance that cancer will develop."

"Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with a higher risk of various cancers, including mouth, throat, liver, breast, and colon cancers. Cutting back on alcohol can reduce this risk." Which cancers are linked to alcohol?

Female patient in hospital.
Alcohol has been linked to at least seven different types of cancer. (Getty Images)

According to Cancer Research UK there are seven types of cancer linked to alcohol – bowel (sometimes called colon or rectal), oesophageal (food pipe), larynx (voice box), mouth, pharynx (upper throat), breast (in women), and liver. There’s also mounting evidence that heavy drinking might be linked to pancreatic cancer.

Dr Ketan Patel told that charity that at the moment experts "don’t fully understand why alcohol causes some cancers and not others."

However, there are some theories. "The best evidence we have is for mouth and throat cancers where alcoholic drinks directly damage cells in these tissues," Dr Patel told Cancer Research UK.

And, because alcohol also increases a person’s chances of developing a scarring of the liver known as cirrhosis, it is thought that this increases their chances of developing liver cancer.

Dr Patel says there is also some evidence that certain bacteria in your mouth and throat – and maybe even in the bowel – could be involved in alcohol causing cancer. But more research is needed.

While there is a belief among many that the health risks of alcohol only apply to heavy drinkers, research is revealing that drinking small amounts can be harmful too.

Bowel cancer is the overall term given to cancer that begins in the large bowel – depending on where it starts, it is sometimes called colon or rectal cancer and alcohol is a known risk factor.

According to Bowel Cancer UK alcohol can damage the cells that line the inside of the bowel, which makes it more likely for cancer to develop.

The main symptoms are:

  • persistent blood in poo (that doesn't occur for any obvious reason)

  • a persistent change in your bowel habit (e.g. needing to poo more, or it changing in consistency)

  • persistent lower tummy pain, bloating or discomfort (caused by eating, and may be associated with loss of appetite or significant unintentional weight loss).

Female doctor and young woman during a mammogram test for breast cancer.
Breast cancer (in women) is one of the cancers linked to alcohol. (Getty Images)

Until recently breast cancer was the most common type of cancer in the UK, accounting for three in 20 (15%) of all cases in females and males combined.

Cancer Research UK says drinking alcohol is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer. Around ong in 10 breast cancer cases are caused by drinking alcohol, that’s about 4,400 cases a year. The risk of breast cancer is increased even if you drink at low levels.

According to the Royal Marsden there is strong evidence linking the consumption of alcohol and increased risk of breast cancer recurring, as well as being linked to tumour progression, increasing blood oestrogen levels and helping new blood vessels form, which can allow the cancer to spread, or ‘metastasise’.

The best way to discover any symptoms is to check breasts regularly for changes and look out for a lump or area of thickened breast tissue.

Other than lumps, symptoms to look out for include:

  • a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts

  • discharge from either of your nipples (which may contain blood)

  • a lump or swelling in either of your armpits, dimples

  • a rash around the nipple, and a change in the nipple's appearance

Oesophageal cancer is a cancer of the food pipe. The food pipe is also called the oesophagus or gullet and is part of the digestive system.

The Royal Marsden says drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma. Consuming alcohol, especially in high amounts and/or chronically, can inflame and irritate the lining of your gullet. Due to inflammation, the oesophagus lining is more likely to become cancerous.

Symptoms of oesophageal cancer can include:

  • difficulty swallowing

  • indigestion or heartburn

  • weight loss.

According to Drink Aware if you drink alcohol, your mouth and throat are in close contact with alcohol, which is a risk factor for all of these types of cancer.

It is estimated that between 22% and 38% of all mouth, throat and voice box cancers in the UK are caused by drinking alcohol.

Combining smoking with alcohol significantly increases the risk of getting mouth, throat and voice box cancers. That's because tobacco is highly carcinogenic (meaning it’s a substance that causes cancer), and alcohol may make the mouth more absorbent, which allows these carcinogens to enter the body.

Symptoms of mouth cancer include:

  • mouth ulcers

  • unexplained, persistent lumps in your mouth, both of which may be painful.

Laryngeal cancer develops in the tissue of the larynx (voice box).

Symptoms of laryngeal cancer can include:

  • a change in the voice, such as persistent hoarseness

  • difficulty or pain when swallowing

  • noisy breathing

  • shortness of breath

  • a persistent cough

  • a lump or swelling in your neck

The most common symptoms of cancer in the oropharynx or hypopharynx (throat) include:

  • a lump in the neck

  • a persistent sore throat

  • difficulty swallowing.

Woman with a sore throat, a sign of throat cancer.
Mouth, voice box and throat cancers have also have alcohol as a risk factor. (Getty Images)

According to Cancer Research UK heavy alcohol use increases your risk of liver cancer. Drinking alcohol long term can cause cirrhosis of the liver, which in turn increases the risk of liver cancer. Alcohol might also directly damage the DNA inside liver cells.

Figures reveal seven out of 100 cases of liver cancer (7%) in the UK are caused by drinking alcohol.

Symptoms of liver cancer include:

  • weight loss

  • yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

  • itching

  • feeling sick

  • swollen tummy (abdomen)

  • loss of appetite or feeling full after eating small amounts

  • pain in your abdomen

  • a lump in the right side of your abdomen

  • pain in your right shoulder

Read more about cancer:

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