Light or moderate drinking ‘can heighten risk of cancer’

A new study has indicated that even light and moderate levels of alcohol consumption can increase a person's risk of developing alcohol-related cancers.

Published in the British Medical Journal, the research examined data from 88,084 women and 47,881 men to quantify the risk of cancer across all levels of alcohol consumption, with a focus on light-to-moderate drinking and people who have never smoked.

It was shown that even low levels of drinking was associated with a minimally increased risk of overall cancer, even though this was not to a level that was considered statistically significant.

For men who had never smoked, the risk of alcohol-related cancers was not appreciably increased for light and moderate drinking, meaning up to two drinks per day.

However, for women who had never smoked, the risk of alcohol- related cancers – mainly breast cancer – increased even within the range of up to one alcoholic drink a day.

The researchers added: "Decisions on levels of alcohol consumption should also incorporate information on smoking history and familial predispositions to alcohol-related cancers."