Annual deaths from alcohol-related cancers in the United States doubled over a 33-year period to reach more than 23,000 in 2023, Florida researchers have revealed.
Scientists from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami found that annual alcohol-attributable cancer fatalities rose by 103 percent from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023.
The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, examined health data from thousands of Americans between 1990 and 2023 across 10 different forms of cancer. While overall mortality remained concentrated among men and adults aged 55 and older, researchers warned of a dramatic rise in deaths among younger adults aged 20 to 54.
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center is a major biomedical institution located at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Its research team conducted statistical modeling across decades of patient records to determine which cancer deaths were directly attributable to alcohol consumption.
Researchers explained that when the human body breaks down alcohol, it creates a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde. This compound destroys healthy cells and creates an environment where cancer cells thrive, leading international health authorities to classify alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient scientific evidence that the drink causes cancer.
Surge in Gastrointestinal and Breast Cancers
Dr Chinmay Jani, corresponding study author and chief fellow in hematology and oncology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami, highlighted the unexpected scope of the findings across multiple organs.
"The most surprising finding was the breadth of alcohol’s potential impact across cancer types," Dr Jani said. "Although its relationship with liver cancer is widely recognized, its contribution to cancers such as colorectal, esophageal, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer is less well understood by the public."
Hematology is the branch of medicine concerned with blood disorders, while oncology focuses on the study and treatment of cancer tumors.
Among adults aged 20 to 54, colorectal and breast cancers emerged as the leading causes of alcohol-related cancer mortality. Esophageal, prostate and pancreatic cancers also experienced unprecedented growth in death rates within this younger age group.
For men between the ages of 20 and 54, colorectal cancer was the leading cause of alcohol-related death, followed by esophageal cancer. For women in the same age group, breast cancer was the leading cause, followed by colorectal cancer.
Dr Jani noted that colorectal cancer surpassed liver cancer as a cause of alcohol-attributable cancer death in both men and women aged 20 to 54. Colorectal cancer affects the colon or rectum, which form the main sections of the lower digestive system.
Mortality Breakdown by Age and Cancer Type
When analyzing data for both sexes combined, researchers found increases in alcohol-related deaths for all cancers studied except liver cancer. The sharpest rise occurred in stomach cancer deaths, which surged by 57 percent, followed by a 40.5 percent increase in pancreatic cancer deaths and a 39.7 percent increase in colorectal cancer deaths.
Despite the lack of an overall percentage increase, liver cancer remained the leading absolute cause of alcohol-related death across the entire study population, followed by esophageal and colorectal cancers. Older men aged 55 and older experienced the highest concentration of deaths from liver cancer, followed by esophageal and colorectal cancers, while breast cancer was the most frequent among older women.
The study also examined state-by-state data for 2023, revealing substantial geographic differences in alcohol-attributable cancer mortality across the country. Washington DC recorded the highest mortality rate for both sexes combined, while Texas recorded the second highest rate for men and Alaska recorded the second highest rate for women.
Utah recorded the lowest alcohol-related cancer mortality rate for both sexes, which researchers attributed to the state consistently logging the nation's lowest alcohol consumption rates. By contrast, Washington DC registered some of the highest wine consumption and binge drinking rates in the country, which 2025 Gallup research linked to its high concentration of young professionals.
Call for Public Health Action
Dr Gilberto Lopes, senior study author and chief of the Division of Medical Oncology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, emphasized the potential to prevent future deaths through behavioral change.
"What this study makes clear is that alcohol-related cancer risk is not limited to one disease or one group of people," Dr Lopes said. "As physicians and cancer researchers, we have an opportunity to help patients understand that alcohol is a modifiable risk factor and that even small, informed changes can be part of a broader strategy to reduce cancer risk in our community."
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published jointly by federal health agencies to provide evidence-based nutritional advice, currently urges adults to consume less alcohol for better overall health. Previous guidelines suggested limiting daily consumption to fewer than two drinks for men and one drink for women.
Researchers stressed that public health strategies must prioritize raising awareness of alcohol's link to cancers beyond the liver. Dr Jani stated that while the lowest safe dose of alcohol remains unknown, reducing consumption to the lowest feasible amount for each individual can help lessen its impact on cancer risk and overall health.
