The United States has seen a 33% decrease in overall cancer mortality from 1991 to 2021, according to the latest Progress report on cancer.
The report, released Wednesday by the American Association for Cancer Research, estimates the reduction equates to about 4.1 million lives saved.
Cancer mortality rates for children and adolescents have also fallen by 24% over the past two decades, the report found.
While the reduction in cancer deaths depends on lower smoking frequencytreatment improvements and earlier detection, there is still one risk factor that the authors warn is not as well known: alcohol.
Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of six different types of cancer, according to the report, including:
“In the United States, 5.4% of cancer cases were attributed to alcohol consumption in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available,” a press release for the report says. “Research has shown a link between the level of alcohol consumed during pregnancy and the likelihood of the baby developing leukemia after birth, with both moderate and heavy levels of drinking during pregnancy increasing the risk.”
The report also notes that alcohol intake at an earlier age can increase cancer risk later in life.
“Unfortunately, awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer remains low, underscoring the need for public message campaigns, such as cancer-specific warning labels displayed on alcoholic beverages, along with effective clinical strategies to reduce the burden of alcohol-related cancers,” the release continued.
In the past, researchers have found more than 40% of all cancer deaths among adults 30 years and older in the United States may be linked to modifiable lifestyle risks. Besides alcohol, the other most influential modifiable risk factors include smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and diet.