Drinking increases risk of at least seven types of cancer: Study

The first review of the alcohol drinking guidelines in 20 years, led by the chief medical officers across the UK, showed drinking upped the risk of at least seven different types of cancer, including the mouth and throat, bowel and breast cancer in women.

Data showed that 27 per cent of all new North East cancer cases – some 4,200 per comprised these cancer types.

Bowel cancer incidence rates had remained stable over the past decade, while female breast cancer increased 8 per cent. Increase in   mouth and throat cancers was registered at 34 per cent with almost one in three mouth and throat cancers thought to be linked to alcohol.

Public awareness of the alcohol cancer link remained low. A Cancer Research UK study by Sheffield University found only around one in 10 people mentioned  cancer when asked about conditions which too much alcohol consumption could lead to.

The Sunderland Echo quoted Sue Taylor, Partnerships Manager for North East drink awareness group Balance, ''So many people remain unaware of the links between alcohol and cancer, as well as the health risks associated with alcohol in general.

''This is particularly worrying when we're seeing such sharp increases in alcohol-related hospital admissions.''

Meanwhile, 20 New Zealand women die a year from breast cancer linked to consuming fewer than two alcoholic drinks a day on average, according to a new University of Otago study.

"About 60 per cent of all alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in New Zealand women are from breast cancer," said professor Jennie Connor, the lead author of the new study, published in the international journal Drug and Alcohol Review.

"We estimated 71 breast cancer deaths in 2007 and 65 in 2012 were due to drinking, and about a third of these were associated with drinking less than two  drinks a day on average.

"Although risk of cancer is much higher in heavy drinkers there are fewer of them, and many alcohol-related breast cancers occur in women who are drinking at levels that are currently considered acceptable."