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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Alcohol-linked cancer deaths doubled in the US between 1990 and 2023, rising from ~11,000 to over 23,000 annually. Men and adults aged 55 and older bear the heaviest burden, and the trend is worsening across nearly every cancer type. Liver cancer saw the steepest rise in alcohol-related mortality.
Alcohol-linked cancer deaths have doubled in the US over three decades
A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health: Americas reveals a stark rise in alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the US, with fatalities more than doubling from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023. Researchers from the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease database, tracking trends across 10 cancer types, broken down by sex, age, and location.
Men and older adults are hit hardest — those aged 55 and older had mortality rates nearly eight times higher than the 20–54 age group. Liver cancer showed the sharpest increase in alcohol-attributable deaths, while breast cancer was the leading alcohol-related cancer killer among older women.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: Alcohol is an often-overlooked carcinogen. As deaths climb across nearly all cancer types and demographics, these findings underscore the urgent need for stronger public health messaging, screening strategies, and policy interventions targeting alcohol consumption as a modifiable cancer risk factor.
