Even one alcoholic drink per week will increase cancer risk: U.S. Surgeon General report

Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, says new report from U.S. Surgeon General

6 hours ago

Duration 6:34

Maybe you’re doing dry January — abstaining from alcohol for the first month of the year. A new report from the United States Surgeon General might motivate you to keep that going. It lists alcohol as a leading preventable cause of cancer, and recommends adding warning labels to alcohol packaging. Dr. Peter Lin, CBC's medical columnist, spoke about the findings with Here & Now's Carolyn Stokes.

A new report from the United States Surgeon General says alcohol is a leading preventative cause of cancer.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says consumption of alcohol brings with it an increased risk for at least seven different types of cancer. Alcohol is also responsible for 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer-related deaths in the U.S. each year, Murthy says.

CBC medical columnist Dr. Peter Lin spoke with Here and Now host Carolyn Stokes about the report's findings on Tuesday.

Lin says alcohol can cause chemical mutations, carry toxic chemicals in the body and increase estrogen in women, which could lead to an increased risk of breast cancer.

"Even one drink will increase your risk," Lin said.

"Two drinks per week is what they call low-risk. Three to six drinks drinks per week increases your cancer risk and seven or more drinks a week is now bad because it increases cancer, heart attacks and heart disease and strokes as well."

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Lin says drinkers should lean toward less and slower intake to allow the liver the ability to keep up.

Watch Dr. Lin's full conversation with Carolyn Stokes in the video above.

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