Alcohol Increases Risk of Developing Many Types of Cancer

Majority of Americans Unaware
Of Alcohol's Cancer Risks

Although it has long been known that drinking alcohol is linked to increased risks of developing several types of cancer, a majority of Americans are unaware of the association. People who do drink are less likely to believe the cancer risk of alcohol than those who do not drink.

Remarkably, some Americans believe that drinking alcohol actually reduces the risk of developing cancer.

According to a study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, researchers found that more than half of American adults (52.9 percent) did not know alcohol affects cancer risk.

The cross-sectional study also revealed 37.1 percent of U.S. adults do understand there is a correlation between cancer risk and drinking, and 1 percent believed that drinking decreased cancer risk.

People who had recently consumed alcohol, or who believed that cancer isn't fatal or preventable, were more likely to think that drinking alcohol doesn't influence cancer risk, the study found.

Correcting the Mispreceptions

"It's concerning that people who drink alcohol are the ones most likely to believe it has no effect on cancer risk," said lead author, Sanjay Shete, Ph.D., professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, and Betty B. Marcus Chair in Cancer Prevention. "Given people's beliefs play a critical role in whether they choose healthier behaviors, we need to work on correcting these misperceptions, which could be essential to reducing the growing burden of alcohol-related cancers."

While it is known that individuals' beliefs strongly influence their willingness to adopt healthier behaviors, few studies have examined this on a national scale. Researchers found that the prevalence of beliefs varied according to certain health-behavioral factors.

Current cigarette smokers, Black individuals, those with lower education levels (below a college or high school level), and those who do not believe cancer is preventable were more likely not to know that alcohol influences cancer risk.

Alcohol and Cancer Risk

Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, the same category as tobacco, asbestos and radiation. Drinking alcohol has been linked to at least seven types of cancer. About 5.5 percent of all new cancer diagnoses and 5.8 percent of all deaths from cancer are attributed to drinking alcohol, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Addressing misbeliefs could reinforce individual compliance with alcohol consumption guidelines, particularly those recently endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General in his 2025 advisory, and may help mitigate preventable cancer-related deaths.

^{Source: Shete, S, et al. "Beliefs About the Effect of Alcohol Use on Cancer Risk in the US Adult Population." JAMA Oncology 30 October 2025}

Learn more about Effects of Alcohol.