Alcohol Intake and Colorectal Cancer

It was too good to last – the flood of information showing how good moderate alcohol intake is for your longevity.  But of course, the emphasis should be on ‘moderate’.  More than three drinks a day for men or two a day for women pushes one into the unhealthy zone – an increased risk of liver damage, increased cardiovascular problems, and so on.  But now a threat has emerged for even light drinkers.  It’s reported in the Annals of Oncology, and concerns colon cancer. 

While an association between alcohol intake and colorectal cancer has been recognized, little has been known about the effect of quantities and extent of the risk.  French workers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer did a comprehensive meta-analysis of published studies to examine this.  They found 27 cohort studies and 34 case-controlled studies that met their strict criteria.  They classified alcohol intake into ‘light’ (less than one drink a day), ‘moderate’ (2-3 drinks a day), or ‘heavy’ (4 or more drinks a day).

Moderate alcohol intake was associated with a 21% increase in the risk of developing colorectal cancer.  Heavy drinking was associated with a 52% increased risk.  In the moderate drinking class, men had a 24% increased risk, compared with women, who had an 8% increased risk.  What’s more serious, perhaps, is that the light drinker class included some subjects who drank the equivalent of 10 grams/day (one drink is 12 grams/day), and their risk of colon cancer was slightly, but significantly increased, by 7%.         

Well, I still think that the benefits of small amounts (moderate?) of alcohol and chocolate and coffee have more benefits than risks.  There are worse things out there!