Light Alcohol Consumption Not a Major Cancer Risk Factor

US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (Maryland, USA) researchers have evaluated the separate and combined effects of the frequency of alcohol consumption and the average quantity of alcohol drunk per occasion, and how that relates to mortality risk from individual cancers as well as all cancers. The analysis by Rosalind A. Breslow and colleagues, involves data collected on more than 300,000 study subjects enrolled in the US National Health Interview.  The overall message of this analysis is that light to moderate alcohol intake does not appear to increase the risk of all-site cancer (and light drinking was shown in this study to be associated with a significant decrease in risk). Similarly, light to moderate consumption was not associated with site-specific cancers of the lung, colorectum, breast, or prostate.  Whereas light-to-moderate drinking consistently showed no effect in the analysis, only heavier drinking was associated with an increase in all-site cancer risk.  Heavier drinking (three drinks or more per occasion) is known to be associated with a large number of adverse health effects, including certain cancers, as was shown in this study. When considering cancer, alcohol consumption should not be considered in isolation, but in conjunction with, other lifestyle behaviors (especially smoking when considering lung cancer).