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Preventing alcohol-related cancer: what if everyone drank within the guidelines?

  • Quantitative Research
  • Published:
Canadian Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A Correction to this article was published on 01 April 2018

This article has been updated

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to estimate the proportion and number of cancer cases diagnosed in Ontario in 2012 that are attributable to alcohol consumption and to compare the impact of drinking within two sets of guidelines on alcohol-attributable cancer incidence.

Methods

We estimated the proportion of cancers in Ontario attributable to alcohol consumption by calculating population-attributable fractions (PAFs) for six cancer types using drinking prevalence from the 2000/2001 Canadian Community Health Survey and relative risks from a meta-analysis. Each PAF was multiplied by the number of incident cancers in 2012, allowing for a 12-year latency period, to calculate the number of alcohol-attributable cases. We also estimated the number of alcohol-attributable cases under two scenarios: (1) assuming consumption had not exceeded the levels recommended by the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRADG) and (2) assuming consumption had not exceeded the recommended levels by the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) guidelines.

Results

One thousand two hundred ninety-five (95% confidence interval 1093–1499) new cases of cancer diagnosed in Ontario during 2012 are estimated to be attributed to alcohol consumption, representing approximately 1.7% (1.4–1.9%) of all new cancer cases. If no Ontario adults had exceeded the LRADG, an estimated 321 fewer cancer cases could have been diagnosed in 2012, whereas an estimated 482 fewer cancer cases could have been diagnosed if no Ontario adults had exceeded the stricter WCRF/AICR guidelines.

Conclusion

Strategies to limit alcohol consumption to the levels recommended by drinking guidelines could potentially reduce the cancer burden in Ontario.

Résumé

Objectifs

Estimer la proportion et le nombre de cas de cancer diagnostiqués en Ontario en 2012 qui étaient attribuables à la consommation d’alcool et comparer les effets de cette consommation selon deux ensembles de directives sur l’incidence des cancers attribuables à la consommation d’alcool.

Méthode

Nous avons estimé la proportion des cancers attribuables à consommation d’alcool en Ontario en calculant les fractions attribuables dans la population (FAP) pour six types de cancer à l’aide de la prévalence de la consommation selon l’Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes de 2000–2001 et les risques relatifs d’une méta-analyse. Chaque FAP a été multipliée par le nombre de nouveaux cas de cancer en 2012, en tenant compte d’une période de latence de 12 ans, pour calculer le nombre de cas attribuables à la consommation d’alcool. Nous avons aussi estimé le nombre de cas attribuables à la consommation d’alcool selon deux scénarios : 1) en supposant une consommation ne dépassant pas les niveaux recommandés dans les Directives de consommation d’alcool à faible risque (DCAFR); et 2) en supposant une consommation ne dépassant pas les niveaux recommandés dans les directives conjointes du World Cancer Research Fund et de l’American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR).

Résultats

Il est estimé que 1295 (intervalle de confiance de 95%: 1093–1499) nouveaux cas de cancer diagnostiqués en Ontario en 2012 étaient attribuables à la consommation d’alcool, soit environ 1,7% (1,4%–1,9%) des nouveaux cas de cancer. Si aucun adulte ontarien n’avait dépassé les DCAFR, il est. estimé que 321 cas de cancer en moins auraient été diagnostiqués en 2012, tandis que 482 cas de cancer en moins auraient été diagnostiqués si aucun adulte ontarien n’avait dépassé les directives plus strictes du WCRF et de l’AICR.

Conclusion

Des stratégies visant à limiter la consommation d’alcool aux niveaux recommandés dans les directives de consommation pourraient potentiellement réduire le fardeau du cancer en Ontario.

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Change history

  • 18 May 2018

    Due to a production error, the PDF of this article published without the French translation of its Abstract (Résumé) and Keywords (Mots-clés), now displayed here.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Sue Greco for assistance in using @RISK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Prevention and Cancer Control, Cancer Care Ontario, 620 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 2L7, Canada

    Stephanie W. Young, Elisa Candido & Julie Klein-Geltink

  2. Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Norman Giesbrecht

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  1. Stephanie W. Young
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  2. Elisa Candido
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  3. Julie Klein-Geltink
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  4. Norman Giesbrecht
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Correspondence to Stephanie W. Young.

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Young, S.W., Candido, E., Klein-Geltink, J. et al. Preventing alcohol-related cancer: what if everyone drank within the guidelines?. Can J Public Health 109, 70–78 (2018). https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0033-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0033-x

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