🚫
By Dr. Hitesh R. Singhavi – Head & Neck Cancer Surgeon
We’ve all heard that “a little alcohol is okay,” or even that “a glass of wine a day is good for the heart.” But when it comes to cancer – especially cancers of the mouth, throat, liver, and even breast – the truth is far more alarming.
🍷 Is Alcohol Really a Carcinogen?
Yes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have declared alcohol – and its main by-product acetaldehyde – as Group 1 carcinogens. That means they are proven to cause cancer in humans, just like tobacco and asbestos.
Whether it’s beer, wine, whisky, or desi daru — the problem is not the type of alcohol, but alcohol itself.
🔬 How Does Alcohol Cause Cancer?
Here’s what happens in your body when you drink:
- Your liver breaks down alcohol into acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical that can damage your DNA.
- This damage can trigger the growth of abnormal cells — the beginning of cancer.
- Alcohol also weakens your immune system, making it harder for your body to kill cancer cells.
- It reduces your body’s ability to absorb folate, a vitamin that protects against DNA damage.
- In women, alcohol raises estrogen levels, increasing the risk of breast cancer.
And that’s not all — alcohol also damages the lining of the mouth, throat, food pipe, and stomach, making it easier for other carcinogens (like tobacco or spicy food) to do harm.
📊 Alcohol and Cancer in India: A Hidden Epidemic
In India, alcohol-related deaths are staggering:
- 1 lakh deaths on roads every year are linked to alcohol.
- 1.4 lakh people die from liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol.
- Around 30,000 cancer-related deaths can be traced to alcohol use.
While alcohol consumption in India may seem lower than the West, the pattern is more harmful:
- Many Indians binge drink — large amounts in a short time.
- Most drink on an empty stomach, increasing toxicity.
- Nearly 92% of alcohol consumed in India is hard liquor (spirits), which is more damaging.
- Spurious or contaminated alcohol is still a public health hazard, sometimes mixed with methanol, a poison.
🔍 What Did Our Meta-Analysis Show?
We analysed 29 Indian studies covering 40 years of research. Here’s what we found:
- Alcohol drinkers had 2.3 times higher risk of developing any cancer than non-drinkers.
- When it came to oral cancer, the risk was 1.9 times higher in alcohol consumers.
- Studies also linked alcohol with cancers of the larynx, esophagus, liver, prostate, colon, and hypopharynx.
In simple terms, alcohol increases your cancer risk across the body.
❌ The Myth of “Safe Drinking”
Many people ask, “How much is safe?”
Let me be very clear: There is no safe amount of alcohol when it comes to cancer.
Even one drink a day can increase your risk. In fact:
- One drink a day increases breast cancer risk in women.
- Heavy or binge drinking drastically raises your risk for oral, liver, and gastrointestinal cancers.
🧠 What You Can Do
- If you don’t drink — don’t start.
- If you do drink — cut down or quit.
- If you’re trying to stop — seek help. There are medical, psychological, and support options available.
- If you suspect a problem or see early symptoms like oral ulcers, voice change, or difficulty swallowing, see a specialist immediately.
📢 Final Words: Let’s Talk Openly
As a cancer surgeon, I’ve seen young lives lost to alcohol-induced cancers. I’ve operated on people in their 30s and 40s whose only mistake was drinking regularly. The damage is preventable — but only if we stop treating alcohol as “harmless fun.”
Let’s call alcohol what it really is:
👉 A carcinogen.
👉 A risk factor we can control.
👉 A habit with no safe limit.
Take care of your health. Your life is precious. Choose wisely.
– Dr. Hitesh R. Singhavi
Consultant, Head & Neck Surgical Oncology