"Alcohol is a well-established and preventable cause of cancer," the U.S. surgeon general warned Friday, calling for new prevention and awareness measures, including warnings on drinks.
Alcohol consumption is "responsible for approximately 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths each year in the United States - more than the 13,500 alcohol-related road traffic deaths" in that country, Chief Medical Officer Vivek Murthy said in a statement accompanying the publication of a report on the subject.
"And yet the majority of Americans are not aware of this risk," he continues, stressing the importance of an information campaign in this regard.
The direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer was first established in the late 1980s and has since been documented by several studies, the report recalls.
Links have been established with at least seven types of cancer: breast, colon-rectal, oesophageal, liver, oral cavity, pharyngeal and laryngeal cancers, the document continues. All types of alcoholic beverages are concerned: beer, wine and spirits.
"16.41% of the total number of breast cancer cases are attributable to alcohol consumption," it is specified.
Warnings are already present today on alcohol products in the United States, particularly warning pregnant women and drivers.
Vivek Murthy calls for cancer risks to be mentioned there too, as in South Korea and Ireland.
However, such a measure would have to be voted on by the American Congress.
Appointed by the president, the chief physician is responsible for prevention on public health issues, even if his concrete powers are very limited.
In his report, Vivek Murthy also recommends a re-evaluation of the recommended daily limit in the United States, currently set at two glasses of alcohol for men and one glass for women.
According to a study cited in the report, 17% of the 20,000 annual alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States occur among people who do not exceed these limits.
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