In contrast to the inconsistent findings regarding alcohol use and cardiovascular health, there is a consensus that alcohol use is associated with increased cancer incidence (Trichopoulou, Bamia, Lagiou et al. 2010; Chen, Rosner, Hankinson et al. 2011; Cao, Willett, Rimm et al. 2015; World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research 2018). Because of the strong association between cigarette smoking and cancer, and the confounding between smoking and alcohol use, teasing apart the relationship between low-level alcohol use and cancer has been particularly difficult. A recent study of two large U.S. cohorts found an association between low-level drinking (1–2 drinks/day) with minimally increased risk of any type of cancer (excluding non-advanced prostate cancer) in both men and women, regardless of smoking history (Cao, Willett, Rimm et al. 2015).
