News|Articles|September 8, 2026

Alcohol-Linked Cancer Deaths in the U.S. Doubled Since 1990

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Key Takeaways

Alcohol-attributable cancer deaths more than doubled from 1990 to 2023, and the national age-standardized mortality rate rose from 3.8 to 4.1 per 100,000 people.
Sex disparities were prominent: men experienced a 14.3% mortality-rate increase and a 92% rise in alcohol-attributable cancer death percentage, while women saw lower rates but higher attributable fractions.
Liver cancer led alcohol-related mortality in 2023 and showed the largest increase (113.9%), followed by substantial alcohol-attributable growth in stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers.
Adults ≥55 accounted for most alcohol-attributable cancer deaths, with liver cancer highest in older men and breast cancer highest in older women; younger patterns favored colorectal (men) and breast (women).
State-level variation was wide, with Washington, D.C. highest and Utah lowest; male mortality rates increased in 47 states, while female trends rose in 17 states and declined most in the Northeast.

A new study found alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the U.S. rose from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023, with men and older adults most affected.

Cancer deaths linked to heavy alcohol use in the United States more than doubled over a 33-year period, according to a new population-based study using data from the Global Burden of Disease database.

Researchers found that deaths attributable to alcohol rose from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023, with the burden falling disproportionately on men and adults 55 and older. The findings arrive a year after the U.S. Surgeon General called for cancer risk warning labels on alcoholic beverages, citing alcohol as a modifiable risk factor for cancer.

What Did the Study Find About Alcohol and Cancer Deaths?

Nationally, the age-standardized mortality rate for alcohol-attributable cancer rose from 3.8 to 4.1 per 100,000 people between 1990 and 2023, a 7.6% increase. That trend was driven largely by men, whose mortality rate increased 14.3%, while the rate for women declined 16%. Despite that decline, the percentage of cancer deaths attributable to alcohol still rose substantially in both groups, climbing 92% among men and 16.7% among women.

In 2023, most alcohol-attributable cancer deaths occurred in men (17,477 deaths) and in adults 55 and older (19,460 deaths). Liver cancer caused the most alcohol-related deaths that year (7,686), followed by esophageal cancer (4,902) and colorectal cancer (3,818).

Among adults 55 and older, liver cancer had the highest alcohol-related mortality rate in men, while breast cancer had the highest rate in women. Among adults ages 20 to 54, colorectal cancer ranked highest in men and breast cancer ranked highest in women. Liver cancer mortality rose the most sharply of any cancer type studied, up 113.9% from 1990 to 2023. The percentage of deaths attributable to alcohol also rose sharply for several other cancers, including stomach cancer (up 57.2%), pancreatic cancer (up 40.5%) and colorectal cancer (up 39.7%).

State-level data showed wide variation. Washington, D.C., recorded the highest alcohol-attributable cancer mortality rates for both men and women in 2023, while Utah recorded the lowest. Mortality rates for men increased in 47 states, with the steepest rises in Oklahoma, New Mexico, West Virginia and Tennessee. Among women, rates increased in 17 states, led by West Virginia, Tennessee and Mississippi, while the largest declines occurred in Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.

How Was the Study Conducted?

Researchers conducted a population-based observational trend analysis using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2023 database, covering 1990 through 2023. They analyzed age-standardized mortality rates and the percentage of those rates attributable to heavy alcohol use, defined as consumption exceeding the theoretical minimum risk exposure level. All cancers combined were evaluated, along with 10 individual cancer types: esophageal, stomach, liver, larynx, breast, prostate, colorectal, lip and oral cavity, pancreatic, and other pharynx cancers.

Results were broken down by sex, location (the 50 states and Washington, D.C.) and two age groups: 20 to 54, and 55 and older. Researchers used joinpoint regression with Monte Carlo permutation testing to identify significant shifts in mortality trends over time and calculated estimated annual percentage changes for each trend segment. The study did not receive external funding.

What Are the Study's Limitations?

The authors noted several limitations tied to the design of the Global Burden of Disease database. Exposure data may be incomplete in more recent years due to reporting delays, and the database does not include patient-level data on race, ethnicity or broader social factors that could affect cancer outcomes. Variability among the underlying data sources may also introduce bias, and because the study is observational, it cannot establish that alcohol directly caused any individual death, only that it is statistically associated with cancer mortality trends. The authors also noted that the analysis may not capture the full burden of every cancer type that alcohol use can affect.

References

"Alcohol-attributable cancer mortality in the United States, 1990–2023: a secondary analysis of Global Burden of Disease data," by Dr. Chinmay Jani, et al., The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.

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