Most Americans unaware of cancer risks associated with drinking alcohol

MD Anderson News Release May 29, 2025

Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, but public awareness of the connection remains strikingly low in the U.S., with just 40% of American adults recognizing alcohol as a cancer risk, according to a new study from Â鶹ӳ»­ MD?Anderson Cancer Center. 

The findings, published today in , reveal that 39% of American adults are not aware of the connection between cancer and alcohol and an additional 20% are uncertain whether they have heard or read about the link. Additionally, of the 5,937 respondents, just over 30% believe that cancer prevention is not possible. 

¡°Despite the well-established association between alcohol and cancer, alcohol consumption has continued to rise in the U.S.,¡± said corresponding author , deputy division head of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. ¡°Our findings suggest that many individuals are unaware of the significant benefit in reducing or eliminating alcohol intake. Simply put, the more a person drinks, the greater their risk of developing cancer.¡±

Consuming alcohol has been linked to at least seven types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, liver, mouth, voice box, throat and esophageal. Each year, alcohol-related cancers claim the lives of more than 20,000 Americans, but nearly 70% of American adults admit to consuming alcoholic beverages. In January 2025, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an about how alcohol increases cancer risk that also called for a new health warning label on alcoholic beverages. 

Researchers found that awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer was lowest among Black respondents (30%), those with some college education or less (35.2%), and those who did not believe cancer prevention was possible (31.5%). Alternatively, respondents who had experienced cancer had a higher likelihood of being aware of the connection.

¡°Given we now know there is an increased risk of cancer, even at low levels of alcohol consumption, it is imperative to improve public awareness,¡± Shete said. ¡°We hope these findings encourage clinicians to speak with their patients directly and that the immediate revision of drinking guidelines becomes a national priority.¡± 

This study was based on data from the and was measured through the question: ¡°Have you ever heard or read that alcohol increases the risk of cancer?¡± Possible responses were: ¡°yes,¡± ¡°no,¡± or ¡°don¡¯t know.¡±

Limitations may include the design of the survey, which did not allow researchers to establish a causal relationship between awareness and selected variables.

This study was funded by the National Cancer Institute (P30CA016672) and the Betty B. Marcus Chair in Cancer Prevention. A full list of collaborating authors and their disclosures can be found .