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News
While overall cancer mortality in the US has dropped over the past three decades, deaths tied to alcohol are heading in the opposite direction. A new study found alcohol-attributable cancer deaths more than doubled from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023. Liver cancer led the charge, with its alcohol-linked mortality rate surging 114% over the same period.
While the US has made real progress in reducing cancer deaths overall, one troubling trend is moving in the wrong direction. A large observational study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas found that alcohol-attributable cancer deaths more than doubled between 1990 and 2023 — even as broader cancer mortality declined thanks to advances in prevention, screening, and treatment.
The findings reveal stark disparities by sex, age, and geography. Men saw a 14.3% rise in alcohol-related cancer mortality rates, while women saw a 16% decline. Adults 55 and older drove much of the increase, with a 21.5% rise in their alcohol-attributable cancer mortality rate. Liver cancer posted the steepest climb — up 114% — followed by esophageal and colorectal cancers. Washington, DC had the highest rates; Utah the lowest.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen linked to at least six cancer types, yet it rarely gets the same airtime as tobacco in prevention conversations. This study is a call for clinicians to routinely discuss alcohol's cancer risk with patients — factually and clearly.
