Alcohol-Attributable Cancer Mortality Has Increased Significantly in the U.S.

THURSDAY, Sept. 3, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Alcohol-attributable cancer mortality has increased in the United States, with mortality rates higher in men and those aged 55 years or older, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in The Lancet Regional Health: Americas.Chinmay T. Jani, M.D., from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami, and colleagues examined trends in alcohol-attributable cancer mortality in the United States in a population-based observational trend analysis using data from the Global Burden of Disease database. Age-standardized mortality rates were evaluated for all cancers combined, followed by 10 specific cancers. Results were stratified by sex, location, and age groups.The researchers found that from 1990 to 2023, there was a doubling in alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the United States (11,361 to 23,126). Compared with the 20- to 54-year-old age group, those aged 55 years and older had higher mortality rates (19.2 versus 2.4 per 100,000), as did men versus women (6.4 versus 2.1). Across most cancer types, age groups, and sexes, the percentage of mortality attributable to alcohol increased; liver cancer exhibited the greatest increase in alcohol-attributable mortality (113.9 percent). Liver and breast cancers had the highest alcohol-related mortality rates in men and women aged 55 years and older, respectively, in 2023 (12.7 and 2.4, respectively, for liver and breast); for those aged 20 to 54 years, colorectal cancer was highest in men and breast cancer was highest for women (0.9 and 0.9, respectively)."The most surprising finding was the breadth of alcohol's potential impact across cancer types," Jani said in a statement.One author disclosed ties to Upstream Bio.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Alcohol-Attributable Cancer Mortality Has Increased Significantly in the U.S.

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