Moderate Drinking May Increase Cancer Risk

Dec. 9, 2019 -- Even moderate alcohol drinking may increase cancer risk, according to a new study.

It included more than 63,000 cancer patients in Japan who were compared with an equal number of healthy people, The New York Times reported.

After controlling for factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, the researchers concluded that drinking the equivalent of 6 ounces of wine, 17 ounces of beer or 2 ounces of whiskey a day for 10 years increased the relative risk of cancer by 5%, according to the study published in the journal Cancer.

Compared to nondrinkers, people who had two drinks a day for 40 years had a 54% higher risk of cancer, The Times reported.

The links between drinking and cancer were particularly strong for cancers of the mouth, throat, stomach and colon.