There’s been an uptick in news about how alcohol use and cancer are related in connection to the US Surgeon General’s advisory report published in January 2025. In that report, Dr. Vivek Murthy noted the large number of studies showing a causal link between alcohol use and cancers of the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box. To put it bluntly, alcohol use and overuse can cause cancer.
With the winter season of parties approaching, at which many of us partake of celebratory adult beverages, it is a complete downer to think about this topic. Still, we already know “it’s heck getting old,” so we might as well talk about one of the many realities we have to face and how that might impact our drinking decisions at the holidays and beyond.
Bette Hancock, behavioral health specialist at Baptist Health Louisville, explains that there are four ways in which alcohol use can lead to cancer. One way is that alcohol converts to acetaldehyde, which damages DNA in multiple ways, causing an increased risk of cancer, she says. Alcohol also causes oxidative stress within cells, which damages DNA, proteins, and lipids. A third mechanism is that alcohol alters levels of multiple hormones, including estrogen. “This can increase breast cancer risk,” Bette says. Finally, alcohol in the body causes greater absorption of carcinogens, those chemicals that cause cancer.
Unfortunately, being older even without alcohol use automatically puts a person at greater risk of developing cancer. Our bodies have experienced years and years of DNA damage that are just a part of living, and our immune systems begin to weaken. Adding too many alcoholic beverages to the mix might be the thing that tips the scale into cancer.
Some health conditions we develop as we age, as well as the medications to manage them, have an impact on how much we can drink and how well we handle alcohol when we do drink it. “Alcohol can worsen some medical conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, ulcers, memory loss, and mood disorders,” Bette says. She adds that alcohol can also make it difficult for practitioners to diagnose and treat medical problems. “For example, alcohol can dull pain that might be a warning sign of a heart attack,” she says.
While no alcohol is the safest bet, the reality is that people are going to indulge at holiday parties. So what guidelines should we follow? “Generally, men should not have more than two drinks a day, and women should not have more than one [per day],” Bette says. And one drink equals the following:
One 12-oz can or bottle of regular beer, ale, or hard seltzer
One 8-or – oz can or bottle of malt liquor
One 5-oz glass of red or white wine
One 1.5-oz shot glass of 80-proof distilled spirits like gin, rum, tequila, vodka, or whiskey
With our health in mind, may we all choose well when to indulge — and when to withhold.
By Carrie Vittitoe | Photo by Patrick Fore
P.S. Start a conversation with friends and family about Bringing Old Treasures Back To Life.
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