Skip Navigation
Skip to contents

Epidemiol Health : Epidemiology and Health

OPEN ACCESS
SEARCH
Search

Search

Page Path
HOME > Search
1 "Ui-Jeong Kim"
Filter
Filter
Article category
Keywords
Publication year
Authors
Funded articles
Special Article
Cancer risk based on alcohol consumption levels: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis
Seunghee Jun, Hyunjin Park, Ui-Jeong Kim, Eun Jeong Choi, Hye Ah Lee, Bomi Park, Soon Young Lee, Sun Ha Jee, Hyesook Park
Epidemiol Health. 2023;45:e2023092.   Published online October 16, 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2023092
  • 65,535 View
  • 1,164 Download
  • 44 Web of Science
  • 58 Crossref
AbstractAbstract AbstractSummary PDFSupplementary Material
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Alcohol consumption is a well-established risk factor for cancer. Despite extensive research into the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risk, the effect of light alcohol consumption on cancer risk remains a topic of debate. To contribute to this discourse, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.
METHODS
Our systematic review aimed to investigate the associations between different levels of alcohol consumption and the risk of several cancer types. We focused on analyzing prospective associations using data from 139 cohort studies. Among them, 106 studies were included in the meta-analysis after a quantitative synthesis.
RESULTS
Our analysis did not find a significant association between light alcohol consumption and all-cause cancer risk (relative risk, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.99 to 1.04), but we observed a dose-response relationship. Light alcohol consumption was significantly associated with higher risks of esophageal, colorectal, and breast cancers. Light to moderate drinking was associated with elevated risks of esophageal, colorectal, laryngeal, and breast cancers. Heavy drinking was also found to contribute to the risk of stomach, liver, pancreas, and prostate cancers, thereby increasing the risk of almost all types of cancer. Additionally, females generally had lower cancer risks compared to males.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings highlight that cancer risks extend beyond heavy alcohol consumption to include light alcohol consumption as well. These findings suggest that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption associated with cancer risk. Our results underscore the importance of public health interventions addressing alcohol consumption to mitigate cancer risks.
Summary
Korean summary
본 연구는 코호트 연구를 기반으로 하여 음주의 수준에 따른 암 위험 연관성에 대해 체계적 문헌고찰(139편)과 메타분석(106편)을 수행하였다. 연구 결과, 음주와 암 위험 사이에 용량-반응 관계가 나타났으며, 소량의 음주는 암 유형에 따라 차이가 있었으나, 식도암, 대장암, 전립선암(남성), 유방암(여성)에서 암 위험과의 연관성이 있음을 발견했다. 따라서, 암 위험 측면에서 음주에 안전한 수준이 없음을 시사하며, 음주와 관련된 잠재적 피해를 완화하기 위해서는 음주 지침 강화와 같은 공중보건개입이 필요하다.
Key Message
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between different levels of alcohol consumption and the risk of various cancer types through a systematic review and meta-analysis, providing insights into the ongoing debate about alcohol consumption and cancer causality. The findings support a dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption levels and cancer risk and the light alcohol consumption was associated with risks of esophageal, colorectal, prostate (male), and breast (female) cancer. These results emphasize the absence of a safe threshold for alcohol consumption in terms of cancer risk.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
  • Prévention et dépistage des cancers dans les rhumatismes inflammatoires chroniques
    Elodie Mamou, Laetitia Morardet, Djaha Mogni, Bruno Fautrel, Laure Gossec
    Revue du Rhumatisme.2026; 93(1): 61.     CrossRef
  • MetALD Was an Independent Risk Factor for the Recurrence of Early Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Endoscopic Resection: A Multicenter Cohort Study Using Directed Acyclic Graphs
    Michita Mukasa, Shuhei Fukunaga, Tomoyuki Nakane, Tomonori Cho, Shinpei Minami, Hiroshi Tanaka, Daiki Ohzono, Tomokazu Yoshio, Yusei Watanabe, Dan Nakano, Tsubasa Tsutsumi, Toshihiro Araki, Taku Morita, Takuji Torimura, Ryuichi Nouno, Keigo Emori, Hidetos
    Hepatology Research.2026; 56(4): 467.     CrossRef
  • Incidence and Mortality Risks of Gastrointestinal Cancers During Working‐Age Period: Trends and Disparities in 204 Countries and Territories (1990–2021)
    Yiming Song, Zhongge Ji, Xunbing Zhang, Qian Liang, Zeyu Li, Xiaojie Huang, Jinnan Chen, Yujie Zhou, Xinyuan Wang, Zhao Li, Liuyi Yang, Yixin Qian, Xiaolu Lin, Qingwei Zhang, Xiaobo Li
    Med Research.2026; 2(1): 58.     CrossRef
  • Green tea catechins and prostate cancer: mechanisms, clinical evidence, and safety: a narrative review
    Hatice Berin Altinoz, Nevin Sanlier
    BMC Cancer.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • European Code Against Cancer, 5th edition – tobacco and nicotine containing products, second‐hand smoke, alcohol and cancer
    Ariadna Feliu, Annie S. Anderson, Linda Bauld, Esteve Fernández, Michael Leitzmann, Sherry Morris, Bernard Srour, Constantine Vardavas, Ioana Vlad, Sabine Vuik, Matty Weijenberg, Rosa Alvarado‐Villacorta, Carlos Canelo‐Aybar, Hajo Zeeb, Joachim Schüz, Eri
    Molecular Oncology.2026; 20(1): 6.     CrossRef
  • Alcohol Consumption and Health Outcomes Among Men in a Rural HIV-Endemic Cohort in South Africa
    Alison C. Castle, Sheela V. Shenoi, Kobus Herbst, Emily B. Wong, Thumbi Ndung'u, Willem Hanekom, Judith A. Hahn, Mark J. Siedner
    Wellcome Open Research.2026; 10: 469.     CrossRef
  • Menopausal hormone treatment and breast cancer
    Anne Gompel, Richard Simcock
    The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.2026; 14(3): 259.     CrossRef
  • Dynamics of mortality from causes directly attributable to alcohol and their contribution to all-cause mortality in the Russian Federation
    Esedulla M. Osmanov, Vladimir A. Reshetnikov, Temirlan M. Akaev, Biysultan S. Khamzaev, Magomedsaid A. Omarov
    Terapevticheskii arkhiv.2026; 97(12): 981.     CrossRef
  • Relative handgrip strength, lifestyles and cancer risk in older adults: a multi-country cohort study
    Yanxue Lian, Pincheng Luo
    QJM: An International Journal of Medicine.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for preventing colorectal cancer and colorectal adenoma in the general population
    Zhaolun Cai, Yang Meng, Wenming Yang, Yihui Han, Dan Cao, Bo Zhang
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Screening older adults for alcohol use in orthopaedic care: Healthcare team perspectives, current practices, and barriers
    Ashley C. Helle, Bryce Rizvanović, Kylee Rucinski, Samantha M. Portis
    Journal of Orthopaedic Reports.2026; : 100954.     CrossRef
  • Judith and Holofernes: alcohol's role in male sexual health in the light of the systems sexology
    Dimitri Yannas, Andrea Sansone, Angelo Cignarelli, Daniele Santi, Giorgia Spaggiari, Francesco Giorgino, Tommaso B Jannini, Alberto Siracusano, Emmanuele A Jannini
    Sexual Medicine Reviews.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Obesity, Bariatric Surgery, and Cancer Risk: Nutritional Perspectives and Long-Term Clinical Implications
    Claudia Reytor-González, Gerardo Sarno, Martha Montalvan, Ludovica Verde, Giuseppe Annunziata, Luigi Barrea, Giovanna Muscogiuri, Daniel Simancas-Racines
    Nutrients.2026; 18(4): 685.     CrossRef
  • Ultra-processed food consumption and risk of oesophagus, stomach, and pancreatic cancers: a multi case–control study
    Laura Torres-Collado, Sandra González-Palacios, Laura María Compañ-Gabucio, Carolina Ojeda-Belokon, Marielisa Gabriela Belisario-Ubeto, Manuela García-de-la-Hera, Alejandro Oncina-Cánovas, Jesús Vioque
    Frontiers in Nutrition.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Alcohol‐cancer risk communication on social media: A content analysis of alcohol‐related Instagram and TikTok posts
    Joseph Alejandro, Christina Mair, Robert W. S. Coulter, Kar‐Hai Chu, Alexa Pierce, Kennedy Sawicki, Arpita Tripathi, Jaime E. Sidani
    Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Gastric Cancer in China, 1990 to 2023
    Shuai Wang, Jingbo Lv, Li Wang, Xiaoming Lin, Hao Wu, Xueyuan Cao
    Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Alcohol use: less is better. An umbrella systematic review of clinical interventions, policies, and dose–response health risks in adults
    Tommaso Dionisi, Vittorio De Vita, Giovanna Di Sario, Antonio Gasbarrini, Giovanni Addolorato
    European Journal of Internal Medicine.2026; : 106837.     CrossRef
  • Dietary Factors Associated With the Progression of Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia: A Multicenter, Prospective Cohort Study in a Western Population
    N.E.A. Kapteijn, F.E. Marijnissen, J.K.F. Pluimers, I.L. Holster, L.G. Capelle, I. Schot, M.P. Anten, E.M. Witteman, F. ter Borg, J.P.W. Burger, M. Doukas, E.J. Kuipers, J. Honing, M.C.W. Spaander
    Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for preventing colorectal cancer and colorectal adenoma in the general population
    Zhaolun Cai, Yang Meng, Wenming Yang, Yihui Han, Dan Cao, Bo Zhang
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Content analysis of output from generative artificial intelligence chatbots when prompted about breast cancer and alcohol consumption
    A.B. Anbari, K. Maturino, O. Goth, G.H. Jesudasan, J.R. Bautista
    Public Health.2026; 255: 106278.     CrossRef
  • Kidney disease and determinants of health as correlates to primary bone cancer: a cross-sectional US population-based study
    Marwa Shouman, Ayad A. Jaffa, Miran A. Jaffa
    BMC Nephrology.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Unraveling the bidirectional link between cancer and dementia and the impact of cancer therapies on dementia risk: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
    Liwei Ma, Edwin C. K. Tan, Benjamin Goudey, Liang Jin, Yijun Pan
    Alzheimer's & Dementia.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Associations of lifestyle factors with oral cancer risk: An umbrella review
    Haobo Xu, Zhonglan Gao, Hairong Liu, Liya An, Ting Yang, Bojun Zhang, Guobin LIU, Dali Sun
    Journal of Stomatology Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.2025; 126(3): 102234.     CrossRef
  • Estudio bibliométrico de las publicaciones sobre cirugía pancreática realizadas por cirujanos españoles
    Juan Jesús Rubio-García, Celia Villodre Tudela, Cándido Alcázar López, Silvia Carbonell Morote, Mariano Franco Campello, Paola Melgar Requena, Adrián Paredes Segura, José Manuel Ramia Ángel
    Cirugía Española.2025; 103(4): 201.     CrossRef
  • Personalized Lifestyle Interventions for Prevention and Treatment of Obesity-Related Cancers: A Call to Action
    Mohamad Motevalli, Fatima Cody Stanford
    Cancers.2025; 17(8): 1255.     CrossRef
  • Bibliometric study of publications on pancreatic surgery carried out by spanish surgeons
    Juan Jesús Rubio-García, Celia Villodre Tudela, Cándido Alcázar López, Silvia Carbonell Morote, Mariano Franco Campello, Paola Melgar Requena, Adrián Paredes Segura, José Manuel Ramia Ángel
    Cirugía Española (English Edition).2025; 103(4): 201.     CrossRef
  • Alcohol consumption and breast lesions: targets for risk-based screening in high-risk Italian women
    Sonia Cerrai, Alessio Lachi, Michela Franchini, Stefania Pieroni, Giada Anastasi, Marco Scalese, Anna Odone, Silvano Gallus, Luc Smits, Sabrina Molinaro
    Breast Cancer.2025; 32(5): 970.     CrossRef
  • Design and Optimization of Surface Plasmon Resonance-Based Non-Invasive Refractive Index Biosensor Using Ag-SiO2 Materials for Alcoholic Beverages Compound Detection
    Trupti Kamani, Shobhit K. Patel, Sana Ben Khalifa, Pankaj Pathak, Saleh Chebaane, Marouan Kouki
    Plasmonics.2025; 20(10): 9017.     CrossRef
  • Invisible foes: how air pollution and lifestyle conspire in the rise of colorectal cancer
    Di Zhao, Meng Zhu
    QJM: An International Journal of Medicine.2025; 118(7): 501.     CrossRef
  • Wine Consumption and Lung Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Carlotta Bertola, Camilla Gobbetti, Gaia Baccarini, Roberto Fabiani
    Nutrients.2025; 17(8): 1322.     CrossRef
  • A narrative review on alcohol and alimentary tract cancer with special emphasis on acetaldehyde and oxidative stress
    Helmut Karl Seitz
    Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie.2025; 63(09): 960.     CrossRef
  • Association of Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Drinking With Risk of 12 Common Cancers Among Low-Income American Adults in the Southeastern United States
    Jiajun Shi, Wanqing Wen, Qiuyin Cai, Martha J. Shrubsole, Xiao-Ou Shu, Wei Zheng
    Cancer Control.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Identification of MMP14 and MKLN1 as colorectal cancer susceptibility genes and drug-repositioning candidates from a genome-wide association study
    Dabin Yun, Jung-Ho Yang, Jin-ah Sim, Minjung Kim, Ji Won Park, Seung Yong Jeong, Aesun Shin, Sun-Seog Kweon, Nan Song
    Journal of Translational Medicine.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Research Progress on Risk Factors and Endoscopic Diagnosis of Gastric Mucosal Intestinal Metaplasia
    思妤 刘
    Advances in Clinical Medicine.2025; 15(05): 1135.     CrossRef
  • Global Cancer Burden Forecast for 204 Countries and Territories, 2022–2050: A Predictive Analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
    Jinghao Liang, Yijian Lin, Wenxi Wang, Jingchun Ni, Hongmiao Lin, Zishan Huang, Jihao Qi, Zhaofeng Tan, Hengrui Liang, Jianxing He
    Cancer Letters.2025; 629: 217883.     CrossRef
  • Global burden of breast cancer attributable to alcohol consumption: a multi-regional observational analysis (1990–2021)
    Fangfang Cui, Yuntian Chu, Weiyi Wang, Meihao Ji, Sidong Zhang, Zhengyu Wu, Yadong Song
    Addictive Behaviors.2025; 170: 108426.     CrossRef
  • Patterns of cigarette, e-cigarette, heated tobacco, and alcohol use in solid organ transplant recipients, a pre- versus posttransplant comparison: Survey results from a transplantation center in Poland
    Zuzanna Marczak, Bartosz Olkowski, Olga Maria Rostkowska, Dorota Miszewska-Szyszkowska, Olga Kozińska-Przybył, Tomasz Warężak, Magdalena Durlik
    Tobacco Prevention & Cessation.2025; 11(June): 1.     CrossRef
  • Analysis of Novel DNA Adducts Derived from Acetaldehyde
    Yuuki Betsuyaku, Mina Motohashi, Akira Sassa, Takeji Takamura-Enya, Yukari Totsuka
    Biomolecules.2025; 15(6): 878.     CrossRef
  • Granulocyte function in response to acute alcohol consumption: temporal shifts from proinflammatory activation to antiinflammatory modulation in healthy volunteers
    Ramona Sturm, Florian Haag, Helen Rinderknecht, Jasmin Maria Bülow, Nils Wagner, Julian Zabel, Christian B Bergmann, Ingo Marzi, Borna Relja
    Journal of Leukocyte Biology.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Soy and Isoflavones: Revisiting Their Potential Links to Breast Cancer Risk
    Catherine Bennetau-Pelissero
    Nutrients.2025; 17(16): 2621.     CrossRef
  • Alcohol Consumption and Health Outcomes Among Men in a Rural HIV-Endemic Cohort in South Africa
    Alison C. Castle, Sheela V. Shenoi, Kobus Herbst, Emily B. Wong, Thumbi Ndung'u, Willem Hanekom, Judith A. Hahn, Mark J. Siedner
    Wellcome Open Research.2025; 10: 469.     CrossRef
  • RE: Drinking pattern and time lag of alcohol consumption with colorectal cancer risk in US men and women
    Gokhan Koker, Gulhan Ozcelik
    JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute.2025; 117(11): 2409.     CrossRef
  • Light to Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Cancer Incidence: The Norwegian Women and Health Cohort Study
    Fjorida Llaha, Idlir Licaj, Ekaterina Sharashova, Pietro Ferrari, Marko Lukic, Kristin Benjaminsen Borch
    Clinical Epidemiology.2025; Volume 17: 807.     CrossRef
  • Association between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing breast cancer: a systematic review
    Siane Silva Cesar, Gabriel Nuñez Costa, Marilia Niedermayer Fagundes, Mary Gomes Silva
    Mastology.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Direct and Indirect Costs of Cancer in Adult Population of Poland in the Period 2021–2023
    Izabela Gąska, Aleksandra Czerw, Monika Pajewska, Olga Partyka, Dorota Charkiewicz, Andrzej Deptała, Anna Badowska-Kozakiewicz, Katarzyna Sygit, Ireneusz Dziubek, Paulina Wojtyła-Buciora, Jarosław Drobnik, Piotr Pobrotyn, Dorota Waśko-Czopnik, Tomasz Sowi
    Cancers.2025; 17(23): 3725.     CrossRef
  • Methionine Adenosyltransferase 1A and S-Adenosylmethionine in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
    Lucía Barbier-Torres, Jyoti Chhimwal, José M. Mato, Shelly C. Lu
    Antioxidants.2025; 14(12): 1486.     CrossRef
  • The Need for a Systems Biology Approach in Cancer Explained
    Hehuan Zhu, Xi Zhang, Ehsan Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad, Jessica Roelands, Lysanne D. A. N. de Muynck, Cor J. Ravensbergen, Rachel Hoorntje, Imke Stouten, Marianne Hokland, Alexander L. Vahrmeijer, Rob A. E. M. Tollenaar, Edwin Koster, Peter J. K. Kuppen
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2025; 27(1): 141.     CrossRef
  • Unmasking the ‘rods and rings’ antinuclear antibody pattern: a sign of hepatitis C treatment and a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease
    Ko-Ming Lin, Kuang-Hui Yu, Chao-Yang Hsiao, Yu-Jih Su, Tien-Ming Chan
    Annals of Medicine.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Exploring genetic associations of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis with extraintestinal cancers in European and East Asian populations
    Chengdong Yu, Jiawei Xu, Siyi Xu, Lei Tang, Qinyuan Han, Xiaoqiang Zeng, Yanxiao Huang, Tenghua Yu, Zhengkui Sun
    Frontiers in Immunology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • The Impact of Tobacco Smoking and Alcohol Consumption on the Development of Gastric Cancers
    Waku Hatta, Tomoyuki Koike, Naoki Asano, Yutaka Hatayama, Yohei Ogata, Masahiro Saito, Xiaoyi Jin, Kaname Uno, Akira Imatani, Atsushi Masamune
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2024; 25(14): 7854.     CrossRef
  • Genetic Heterogeneity Across Dimensions of Alcohol Use Behaviors
    Jeanne E. Savage, Peter B. Barr, Tanya Phung, Younga H. Lee, Yingzhe Zhang, Vivia V. McCutcheon, Tian Ge, Jordan W. Smoller, Lea K. Davis, Jacquelyn Meyers, Bernice Porjesz, Danielle Posthuma, Travis T. Mallard, Sandra Sanchez-Roige
    American Journal of Psychiatry.2024; 181(11): 1006.     CrossRef
  • To Drink or Not to Drink? Investigating Alcohol’s Impact on Prostate Cancer Risk
    Aris Kaltsas, Michael Chrisofos, Evangelos N. Symeonidis, Athanasios Zachariou, Marios Stavropoulos, Zisis Kratiras, Ilias Giannakodimos, Asterios Symeonidis, Fotios Dimitriadis, Nikolaos Sofikitis
    Cancers.2024; 16(20): 3453.     CrossRef
  • Factors associated with acquiring exercise habits through health guidance for metabolic syndrome among middle-aged Japanese workers: A machine learning approach
    Jiawei Wan, Kyohsuke Wakaba, Takeshi Onoue, Kazuyo Tsushita, Yoshio Nakata
    Preventive Medicine Reports.2024; 48: 102915.     CrossRef
  • Development of an algorithm for identifying paraneoplastic ischemic stroke in association with lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer
    Rebecca Kassubek, Marc-Andre G. R. Winter, Jens Dreyhaupt, Mona Laible, Jan Kassubek, Albert C. Ludolph, Jan Lewerenz
    Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Alimentación y cáncer
    Carlos A. González Svatetz
    FMC - Formación Médica Continuada en Atención Primaria.2024; 31(8): 403.     CrossRef
  • Alcohol consumption and its association with cancer, cardiovascular, liver and brain diseases: a systematic review of Mendelian randomization studies
    Naouras Bouajila, Cloé Domenighetti, Henri-Jean Aubin, Mickael Naassila
    Frontiers in Epidemiology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Global, regional, and national trends in gastric cancer burden: 1990-2021 and projections to 2040
    Tao Zhang, Yiqun Zhang, Xiaofei Leng
    Frontiers in Oncology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Alcohol Consumption and Breast and Ovarian Cancer Development: Molecular Pathways and Mechanisms
    Francesca Fanfarillo, Brunella Caronti, Marco Lucarelli, Silvia Francati, Luigi Tarani, Mauro Ceccanti, Maria Grazia Piccioni, Loredana Verdone, Micaela Caserta, Sabrina Venditti, Giampiero Ferraguti, Marco Fiore
    Current Issues in Molecular Biology.2024; 46(12): 14438.     CrossRef

Epidemiol Health : Epidemiology and Health
TOP