On Friday, U.S. surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new advisory warning of the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk and called for an update to the existing health warning label on alcohol-containing beverages.
According to Dr. Murthy, alcohol is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., behind tobacco and obesity, respectively. The advisory points to an increased risk for at least seven types of cancer including colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx), and breast. With breast cancer specifically, approximately 16.4 percent of cases are attributed to alcohol consumption.
