22%
aware of alcohol/cancer link in Denmark (unprompted)
40%
of all cancers are preventable
1000
Swedes die from cancer caused by alcohol, yearly
9.7%
Cancer deaths by alcohol in Lithuania
Alcohol and cancer awareness in Nordic countries
Despite the well-established contribution of alcohol to the burden of cancer, public knowledge of the relationship between alcohol and cancer is low across the world, including Nordic countries.
When we talk about alcohol increasing the risk of cancer, there’s a little more to it than that. That’s because, as the latest research highlights, it’s one of the chemicals alcohol gets broken down into that seems to be one of the main culprits.
Alcohol is broken down via a strict process and converted into energy. And it’s acetaldehyde, at the centre of this chain, that’s the weakest link. If acetaldehyde isn’t broken down further it builds up in cells, where it damages DNA in a way that could cause cancer.
Alcohol and cancer: This is how booze damages DNA inside cells
By Aine McCarthy
Cancer Research UK
The Lancet: Almost half of global cancer deaths are due to risk factors, with smoking, alcohol use, and high BMI the greatest contributors
Smoking, alcohol use, high BMI, and other known risk factors were responsible for nearly 4.45 million global cancer deaths in 2019, according to new research published in The Lancet using the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) 2019 study.
Guest Blog
Alcohol and cancer: our new global policy priority
At the World Cancer Congress 2022, we shared our experiences of working in international alcohol policy with the global cancer community. Executive Director of Science and Public Affairs Kate Allen and Head of Policy and Public Affairs Kate Oldridge-Turner look at the challenges and opportunities for us to contribute to global efforts to reduce alcohol consumption.
