Alcohol Modestly Increases Risk of Pancreatic Cancer
According to a combined analysis of 14 previous studies, individuals who consume more than about 2½ drinks per day are 22% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than nondrinkers. These results were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention.
Worldwide, an estimated 3.5% of all cancer deaths are attributable to alcohol.1 Links have been established between alcohol and several types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, breast, colon and rectum, and liver.2 Risk of some of these cancers-such as cancer of the mouth-is particularly elevated in people who both smoke and drink.
The way in which alcohol contributes to cancer development is still uncertain, and may vary by cancer type, but there are several possible explanations for the link. In the case of breast cancer, many researchers have speculated that alcohol increases risk by altering the levels of hormones such as estrogen.3 The risk of breast and other cancers may also be increased by potentially carcinogenic compounds, such as acetaldehyde, that are produced during alcohol metabolism (the processing of alcohol by the body).
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Each year, approximately 43,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States and more than 37,000 die from the disease. The disease is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, and improved approaches to early detection and treatment are important research priorities.
To evaluate the link between alcohol and risk of pancreatic cancer, researchers conducted a combined analysis of information from 14 previous studies. These studies included a total of more than 800,000 people, 2,187 of whom were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.4
Compared with nondrinkers, individuals who consumed 30 grams of alcohol (roughly 2½ drinks) or more per day were 22% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. This increased risk is not particularly large, but it was statistically significant, meaning that it’s unlikely to have occurred by chance alone.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society have also evaluated information from the Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) which is a long-term study of roughly one million U.S. adults age 30 and older. Information about alcohol intake was first collected in 1982. A total of 6,847 pancreatic cancer deaths have occurred among study subjects.
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Forty-six percent of male study participants and 63% of female study participants were non-drinkers.
- People who consumed three or more alcohol beverages per day were more likely to die of pancreatic cancer than non-drinkers. Among never-smokers, heavy drinking increased the risk of pancreatic death by 36%. Among those who had ever smoked, heavy drinking increased the risk of pancreatic cancer death by 16%.
- Liquor was more strongly linked with pancreatic cancer death than beer or wine.
These studies suggests that higher levels of alcohol consumption modestly increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. People who choose to drink alcohol are advised to do so in moderation. For women, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans defines moderate drinking as no more than one drink per day.5 For men, moderate drinking is defined as no more than two drinks per day.
References:
- Boffetta P, Hashibe M, La Vecchia C, Zatonski W, Rehm J. The burden of cancer attributable to alcohol drinking. International Journal of Cancer. 2006;119:884-887.
- World Cancer Research Fund / American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. Washington DC: AICR, 2007.
- Rinaldi S, Peeters PHM, Bezemer ID et al. Relationship of alcohol intake and sex steroid concentrations in blood in pre- and post-menopausal women: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Cancer Causes and Control. 2006;17:1033-1043.
- Genkinger JM, Spiegelman D, Anderson KE et al. Alcohol intake and pancreatic cancer risk: a pooled analysis of fourteen cohort studies. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention [early online publication]. March 3, 2009.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, January 2005. Available at: www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines. (Accessed February 16, 2008).
Gapstur SM, Jacobs EJ, Deka A et al. Association of alcohol intake with pancreatic cancer mortality in never smokers. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2011;171:444-451.
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