Local oncologist talks about the link between alcohol and cancer
Jan 10, 2025, 2:32 PM
Bottles of liquor on the shelf of a state liquor store in Salt Lake City. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. surgeon general called for warning labels on alcoholic beverages last week, saying that alcohol is a leading cause of cancer. A local oncologist warns that excess alcohol consumption increases the risk of at least six types of cancer.
Huntsman Cancer Institute oncologist Dr. Katie Kerrigan told Dave & Dujanovic that excess alcohol increases the risk for cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, stomach, breast, liver and colorectal region.
Kerrigan said there are four ways alcohol causes cancer:
- When alcohol breaks down and metabolizes in the body, it becomes a toxin that damages DNA. When DNA is damaged over and over again, it can cause cancer.
- Alcohol increases oxidative stress, which is stress and inflammation at the cellular level. When a cell is continually damaged, it can become cancerous.
- Alcohol can alter hormone levels and cause estrogen levels to rise. Kerrigan said many breast cancers are driven by estrogen.
- Lastly, alcohol increases the rate at which someone absorbs carcinogens in tobacco. This drives cancers of the head and neck.
Are warning labels necessary for alcohol?
Kerrigan said she learned about the link between alcohol and cancer in medical school, but that there’s a lack of education for the general public.
“We’ve known about it for a while. I just think large-scale educational campaigns have been lacking,” Kerrigan said. “The thing they [the surgeon general] want to highlight is we know that there’s a relatively alarming trend of rising of gastrointestinal cancers in young people.”
She noted that many young women don’t know that alcohol can increase the risk of breast cancer.
Ultimately, Kerrigan said people should practice moderation and a healthy lifestyle.
“Key takeaways, you should not binge drink,” Kerrigan said. “I think people can enjoy a glass of wine, or whatever, occasionally. But daily is probably not advised — both for other things that alcohol causes, but also cancer risk.”
