By Katarina A. Lewczyk | Date published: January 14, 2025
Tasneem Ali and Pranoti Mandrekar Discuss Advisory Linking Alcohol Consumption to Cancer with the Telegram & Gazette
At the beginning of the new year, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory that stated alcohol consumption was directly tied to an increased risk of several types of cancer and that less than half of U.S. residents were aware of these risks.
According to health experts, alcohol has been identified as a contributing factor to a higher risk of at least seven types of cancer, including breast, mouth, and throat cancers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that the body breaks down alcohol into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which damages DNA and prevents the body from repairing it. With alcohol being a preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases and 20,000 cancer deaths annually, health experts are questioning whether the advisory will reduce alcohol consumption.
In a recent article in the Telegram & Gazette, Tasneem Ali, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Pranoti Mandrekar, PhD, professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, both agreed that the advisory will benefit public health. Dr. Ali said that she believes that the current advisory will have a more significant impact, compared to a statement issued in 2018 by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which warned of alcohol and its links to cancer. “That statement didn’t achieve much traction nationally,” said Dr. Ali.
Dr. Mandrekar added, “It’s time we start thinking that alcohol consumption can increase the risk of several diseases, including cancer. This will increase awareness to help the general public understand the adverse effects.” She further noted that the significant increase in alcohol consumption since the COVID-19 pandemic, which is likely connected to social isolation and psychological distress, makes the updated advisory warning “crucial.”