A major Oxford study has confirmed that alcohol is a direct cause of cancer, not merely a correlated risk.
Researchers analyzed DNA samples from more than 150,000 participants in China and found that even modest drinking levels can raise the risk of several cancers — particularly head and neck, oesophageal, and liver cancers.
The study focused on people with genetic variants that affect alcohol metabolism. Those with lower alcohol tolerance, who experience a “flushing” reaction, showed dramatically different cancer outcomes depending on their drinking habits. Men who drank regularly despite having these variants faced up to 31% higher risks of alcohol-related cancers, while those who drank little or none had significantly reduced cancer risk.
According to lead researcher Dr. Pek Kei Im, the findings offer clear evidence that “alcohol directly causes several types of cancer,” strengthening the call for public health policies to lower alcohol consumption globally.
