U.S. Alcohol-Linked Cancer Deaths Hit 23,126 in 2023, More Than Doubling Since 1990
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 10
U.S. Alcohol-Linked Cancer Deaths Hit 23,126 in 2023, More Than Doubling Since 1990
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 10
Summary
23,126 U.S. cancer deaths were attributed to alcohol in 2023, up from 11,361 in 1990, according to a University of Miami-led study using Global Burden of Disease data.
The researchers said alcohol’s burden extends well beyond liver cancer, with links seen across colorectal, esophageal, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancers while public awareness of those risks remains limited.
Older men carried the heaviest overall toll, led by liver cancer, but among adults ages 20 to 54, colorectal cancer was the top alcohol-attributable cancer killer in men and the second highest in women.
Breast cancer was the leading alcohol-related cancer cause of death among women overall, underscoring the study’s warning that the risk is not confined to one cancer type or one demographic.
The authors said the findings support stronger public-health messaging and reduced drinking, though the observational analysis cannot prove alcohol directly caused each death or define a safe drinking threshold.