Your gift is 100% tax deductible.
Alcohol May Raise the Risk of All Colorectal Cancer Subtypes
Study shows: Drinking higher amounts of alcohol a day is associated with an increased risk of developing any subtype of colorectal cancer.
It is best not to drink alcohol. That's the recommendation from The American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention. People who choose to drink alcohol should limit their consumption to no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women.
What was studied and why?
Previous studies have shown that consuming alcohol is associated with a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. It’s not yet known how alcohol is associated with the risk of developing distinct subtypes of colorectal cancer but learning more about genetic and epigenetic markers that distinguish colorectal types shows potential for guiding treatment decisions and improving prognosis.
Several American Cancer Society (ACS) Population Science researchers collaborated with researchers from around the world (Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States) on a large study to look at the risk of developing subtypes of colorectal cancer related to alcohol use. (See the ACS Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention.)
- The researchers conducted an observational study by analyzing a large sample of data pooled from 10 long-term studies that asked participants about their use of alcohol, including the ACS Cancer Prevention Study-II (CPS-II).
- They also conducted a genetic study to evaluate the connection between drinking alcohol and the risk of developing all major molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer.
In the decade before this study, only 3 studies evaluating alcohol consumption in relation to colorectal cancer molecular subtypes were published, and the results were inconsistent.
What did the researchers find?
In this study, the consistency of the findings across all subtypes suggests that alcohol may raise the risk of developing cancer through general effects on the body, rather than through specific genetic pathways.
The researchers found that drinking alcohol was linked to a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, and the relationship was similar across all subtypes. Results from traditional observational analysis and genetic analyses pointed to the same overall conclusion.
Specifically, they found:
- A link between high quantities of alcohol in a day and a higher risk for developing cancer. Each additional drink a day (14 grams of alcohol) was associated with a 10% higher risk.
- Heavier drinking drove much of the risk. People who drank more than 2 drinks per day had a 38% higher risk compared to light drinkers.
- The findings were consistent across different groups. Results were similar regardless of sex, smoking status, age at diagnosis, the location of cancer in the colon or rectum, and level of folate consumption. (Folate is an important nutrient that helps build and repair DNA. The team examined it because alcohol can affect how the body processes folate. When folate levels are disrupted, it may increase the chances of DNA damage, which can contribute to the development of cancer in the colon or rectum.)
Because the nondrinker group in the study included former drinkers who may have stopped drinking because of health problems, the researchers focused their analyses on current drinkers.
Where might this study lead?
This was the largest study to date examining associations between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing any subtype of colorectal cancer. These findings support the need for existing public health guidelines to include lifestyle-based prevention strategies for people and communities to help reduce alcohol consumption as a way to lower the overall burden of colorectal cancer.
Published study: “Alcohol consumption and molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer: pooled observational and Mendelian randomization analyses” published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, June 2026. ACS coauthors were Christina Newton, MSPH, Anita Peoples, PhD, MPH (former ACS researcher), and Caroline Um, PhD, MPH, RD.
