Alcohol-Attributable Cancer Mortality Has Doubled in the US Since 1990
A secondary analysis of Global Burden of Disease data reveals that alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the US have doubled since 1990. While mortality rates for women have declined, the proportion of cancer deaths linked to alcohol consumption has risen significantly across both genders.
Why it matters
This highlights a growing public health crisis regarding alcohol consumption and its long-term impact on cancer mortality, necessitating updated health policy and awareness.
Alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the United States doubled from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023, according to a secondary analysis of Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.1
What were the key findings on alcohol-attributable cancer mortality?
Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) increased from 3.8 per 100,000 population (95% CI, 1.7-6.9) in 1990 to 4.1 per 100,000 (95% CI, 2.7-5.8) in 2023. ASMRs increased in men by 14.3% but declined in women by 16% over the study period. Despite the ASMR decline among women, the percentage of ASMR attributable to alcohol increased substantially in both sexes (men, 92%; women, 16.7%). In 2023, most alcohol-attributable cancer deaths occurred in men (n = 17,477; ASMR, 6.4) and in individuals 55 years and older (n = 19,460; ASMR, 19.2).
Which cancer types and demographic groups had the greatest alcohol-attributable burden?
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