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US alcohol-attributable cancer and liver disease mortality
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2026-09-20 19:48 UTC → 2026-10-01 20:13 UTC ·
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US alcohol-attributable cancer and liver disease mortality trends
A study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas indicates that alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the United States more than doubled between 1990 and 2023, increasing from 11,361 to 23,126 annually. While overall cancer mortality in the U.S. has declined, alcohol’s contribution to the total cancer death rate rose from 2.2 percent in 1990 to 3.5 percent in 2023. Researchers from the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center identified significant demographic shifts in mortality causes. For adults aged 55 and older, liver cancer remains the primary alcohol-linked cause of death for men. However, among adults aged 20 to 54, colorectal cancer has overtaken liver cancer as the leading alcohol-attributable cause of death for both men and women. In this younger demographic, breast cancer is the top risk for women. The findings emphasize that even a single standard drink per day can increase risks for various cancers, including esophageal, pancreatic, prostate, and head and neck cancers. Dr. Chinmay Jani, the study’s corresponding author, noted the necessity of broadening public awareness regarding these links. Additional research from Brown University has challenged the assumption that moderate drinking is healthy. A study in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research observed changes in circulatory, immune, and metabolic biomarkers following low to moderate alcohol intake. Researcher Mollie Monnig stated that recent evidence suggests ‘no amount of alcohol promotes better health,’ noting that alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable cancers in the U.S. and a contributing factor to dementia. Complementing these findings, a study in JAMA Network Open reports that alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) mortality nearly doubled between 1999 and 2022, rising from 6.71 to 12.53 per 100,000 people. This trend includes a notable spike during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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- 2026-10-01 20:13 UTC US alcohol-attributable cancer and liver disease mortality
- 2026-09-20 19:48 UTC US alcohol-attributable cancer mortality trends
- 2026-09-12 22:06 UTC US alcohol-attributable cancer mortality trends
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