Alcohol Increases Breast Cancer Risk

In early 2025, a Surgeon General Advisory highlighted what studies have shown for years: alcohol increases cancer risk.

Which Cancers are Linked to Alcohol?

Drinking alcohol increases your risk for seven types of cancer:

• Breast Cancer
• Colon and Rectal Cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Throat Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer

According to the report, drinking alcohol increases breast cancer risk more than any other cancer in women in the United states. For example,in 2019,there were about 270,000 breast cancer cases in women. Of those,an estimated 44,180 cases – or 16.4% – were linked to alcohol use.

5 Reasons Alcohol Increases Cancer Risk

Here’s why alcohol consumption may increase your risk of the seven cancers listed above.

• DNA Damage: Alcohol contains ethanol. Your body breaks ethanol down into acetaldehyde, a cancer-causing substance that damages DNA.
• Inflammation: alcohol increases inflammation, which can promote cancer progress.
• Hormone Levels: Alcohol alters hormone levels. It can increase levels of estrogen and other hormones associated with breast cancer, increasing the risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
• Increased carcinogen Absorption: Alcohol can dissolve other cancer-causing substances, such as those in cigarettes, making it easier for the body to absorb them.
• Weight Gain: Alcohol is considered empty calories – providing calories without helpful nutrients. Excess calories can lead to weight gain, and obesity is a breast cancer risk factor.

Key Takeaways

• Alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of seven different types of cancer.
• Breast cancer is the cancer moast strongly linked to alcohol consumption in women.
• Acetaldehyde, a byproduct of alcohol metabolism, directly damages DNA.
• Alcohol can exacerbate other cancer risks, like those from smoking.
• Reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption can lower your cancer risk.

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