U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, released a new warning at the beginning of January tying several types of cancer, including colorectal cancer, to alcohol consumption.
The warning ties breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx) and voice box (larynx), cancers to alcohol consumption, claiming that in 2019, there were an estimated 96,730 cancer cases tied to alcohol.
GI medical technology company Olympus issued a statement lauding the new warning from the surgeon general.
"The advisory underscores the well-established link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of several cancers, including colorectal, esophageal and liver cancer," Olympus' chief medical officer and CEO, John de Csepel, MD, said in a Jan. 9 news release shared with Becker;s. "Alcohol can lead to a fivefold increase in the risk of developing esophageal cancer, a twofold risk of developing liver cancer and a 1.5-fold risk of developing colorectal cancer."
The release also said the public is often unaware of the link between alcohol and cancers, and this new warning is a major step forward for public health.