Alcohol-Cancer Connection

The Alcohol-Cancer Connection in Europe

Alcohol may be widely available and wildly popular, but the link between excessive drinking and cancer risk is undeniable: Almost 10 percent of all cancers in men and 3.0 percent in women in western Europe are caused by people drinking too much alcohol.

Evidence from France, Italy, Spain, Britain, the Netherlands, Greece, Germany, and Denmark found that 50,400 out of a total of 79,100 cases of certain types of cancers – including bowel and throat tumors – in 2008 were caused by people drinking more than the recommended limits of two drinks per day in men and one drink per day in women. Even more cancer cases would be prevented if people drank less than the recommended guidelines or didn’t drink at all, added the researchers.
 
                                           A standard drink contains about 12.5 grams of alcohol and is equivalent to one 124 milliliter (ml) glass of wine or a half pint of beer, writes So at the very least, it’s good to stay within the recommended limits of drinking.        

                                                                      
One in 12 cancers in men and one in 31 in women across Western Europe are caused by drinking, according to new research.While even small amounts increases the risk, drinking above recommended limits causes the majority of cancer cases linked to alcohol, experts said.Even former drinkers who have now quit are still at risk of cancer, including of the oesophagus, breast, mouth and bowel. NHS guidelines are that men should drink no more than three to four units a day while women should not go over two to three units a day.
The research found that men in Germany were the most likely to exceed 24g a day (43.6% of the male population), followed by Denmark (43.9%) and the UK (41.6%). Among women, Germans were most likely to drink over 12g a day (43.4% of women), followed by those in Denmark (41%) and the UK (37.5%).

Cancers of the pharynx, oesophagus and voice box were most commonly caused by alcohol, followed by liver cancer. Even more cancers were thought to be partly attributable to drinking, and for every additional drink a day, the risks went up. Cancer Research UK, which helped fund the study, said the findings showed that alcohol causes at least 13,500 cases of cancer a year in the UK.
The Department of Health, which is set to publish a new alcohol strategy in the summer, said it is taking "tough" action to tackle problem drinking, including plans to stop supermarkets selling cheap alcohol and the introduction of more stringent licensing laws.