Top Cancer Doctors In The US Ask Citizens To Reduce Alcohol Consumption

According to reports by Business Insider, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released a statement on Tuesday that specified the linked two types of cancer to alcohol. Further in the statement, the doctors have asked the citizens of the country to reduce their alcohol intake.

Alcohol Increases The Risk Of Cancer

“ASCO believes that a proactive stance by the Society to minimize excessive exposure to alcohol has important implications for cancer prevention,” said the statement. According to the publication, this is the first time that ASCO has given its point of view on alcohol and cancer but the research has found links between the two earlier.

Research groups had found proofs last summer that consuming alcohol even if it was one glass of wine a day, can give rise to the risk of developing pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund had gone through 119 studies published worldwide and took down data from12 million women and 260,000 cases of breast cancer for this particular study.

Don’t Dump Alcohol Completely

However, the scientists are not trying to demotivate you from drinking. “We’re not saying no one should ever drink at all – we’re just saying if you do drink, even trying to keep it down to less than one drink a day would be a smart choice,” Alice Bender, a registered dietitian told the publication and there are a few who agree with her.

“The message is not, ‘Don’t drink.’ It’s, ‘If you want to reduce your cancer risk, drink less. And if you don’t drink, don’t start,’” said Noelle LoConte, the lead author of the ASCO statement, told the New York Times. In fact, alcohol is not the only reason of a risk of getting cancer but many other factors like diet, exercise and pollutants in the air come into play.

“It’s good to look at where you are with diet and physical activity and look at places where you might improve and just start every day to take some simple steps to decrease your risk and improve your health,” Bender told Business Insider. “A little bit of change can make a real difference.”