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Booze boosts your bowel cancer risk
New research from Cancer Research UK shows that drinking alcohol increases your likelihood of developing bowel cancer
Your evening glass of dry white may not be the harmless pleasure it once seemed. According to a new report from Cancer Research UK, one large glass of wine a day increases your risk of bowel cancer, one of the most-often diagnosed cancers in the UK.
Almost 480,000 people in 10 European countries answered questions on their drinking habits as part of the EPIC study, ongoing research into the dietary habits of over half a million people in Europe. They were followed up over the next six years, during which time 1,833 people developed bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer).
The results show that 15 grams of alcohol (equivalent to around two units) which is a pint of beer or a large glass of wine a day, raises your risk by about 10%. People who drink more than 30 grams of alcohol every day – the same as three to four units (less than two pints of strong lager), increase their risk of bowel cancer by about 25%. And the more alcohol you drink, the more your risk increases.
Professor Tim Key, Cancer Research UK epidemiologist and deputy director of the cancer epidemiology unit in Oxford, said: "The research shows quite clearly that the more alcohol you drink the greater your risk of bowel cancer. The increase in risk is not large but it is important that people understand they can reduce their risk of a number of different cancers - including bowel cancer - by cutting down on alcohol."
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in men and the second most common in women in the UK. There are over 21,000 new diagnoses of bowel cancer in men every year, and over 13,000 in women. Eight out of ten bowel cancer cases are diagnosed in people aged 60 or over. Men and women have similar rates for cancer up to the age of 50, but as they get older, more men develop bowel cancer. More than 16,000 people in the UK die every year as a result of bowel cancer.
Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK’s director of cancer information, said: "There is a lot of confusion over safe levels of drinking. This partly arises over the increasing strength of some wines and beers and the fact that many pubs offer a large glass of wine that is actually equivalent to one third of a bottle.
"Cancer Research UK recommends that women should drink less than two units a day and men less than three."
"While there is increasing evidence that over indulging in alcohol can increase the risk of some cancers, research also shows that by far the biggest risk for life threatening diseases is the combination of smoking together with drinking alcohol."
Lower your risk
- At least half an hour of moderate exercise, five times a week, can help lower your risk of bowel cancer
- Watch your weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk
- Eat well. A diet low in fibre, fruit, vegetables and folate, (also known as folic acid, found in some vegetables and bread, brown rice and fortified cereals) and high in fat and red and processed meat can increase your risk
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
