TOPLINE:

Only 37.1% of US adults believe alcohol increases cancer risk, while 52.9% are uncertain of any effect, revealing a significant knowledge gap in alcohol-cancer risk awareness. Past-month alcohol drinkers were more likely to believe alcohol has no effect on cancer risk, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.76 (95% CI, 1.18-2.64).

METHODOLOGY:

• No previous study has explored individuals’ beliefs about alcohol’s effect on cancer risk in the post-COVID pandemic era, marked by sustained increases in alcohol consumption.
• Analysis included 6793 individuals (mean age, 48.9 years) from the 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey, a nationally representative household survey of noninstitutionalized US adults.
• Researchers utilized sampling weights to ensure valid population inferences, accounting for nonresponse and noncoverage biases.
• The primary outcome measure assessed beliefs about alcohol’s effect on cancer risk through the question “In your opinion, how does drinking alcohol affect the risk of getting cancer?”
• Participants included 51.6% men and 48.4% women, with diverse ethnic representation: Hispanic (17.5%), non-Hispanic Black (11.0%), and non-Hispanic White (60.7%), and 51.9% reported alcohol consumption in the past month.

TAKEAWAY:

• Among US adults surveyed, 37.1% believed alcohol increases cancer risk, 9.1% believed it has no effect, 1.0% believed it decreases risk, and 52.9% were uncertain about alcohol’s effect on cancer risk.
• Non-Hispanic Black individuals (aOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.17-2.31) and those with lower educational levels (aOR, 2.61; 95% CI, 2.03-3.34) showed higher odds of uncertainty about alcohol’s cancer risk.
• Current smokers (aOR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.03-2.05) and individuals believing cancer is not preventable (aOR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.38-2.18) were more likely to be uncertain about alcohol’s effect on cancer risk.
• Past-month alcohol consumption (aOR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.18-2.64) and believing cancer is not preventable (aOR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.65-3.94) were associated with believing alcohol has no effect on cancer risk.

IN PRACTICE:

“Individuals who drink alcohol were more likely to believe that alcohol consumption has no effect on cancer risk, which is alarming, given the growing burden of alcohol-related cancers in the US. Therefore, addressing these misbeliefs could reinforce individual compliance with alcohol consumption guidelines, particularly those recently endorsed by the US surgeon general in his 2025 advisory,” the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Joël Fokom Domgue, MD, MPH, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. It was published online on October 30 in JAMA Oncology.

LIMITATIONS:

According to the authors, the cross-sectional survey design prevented drawing causal inferences. The use of self-reported measures to assess beliefs potentially introduced social desirability bias, and there were few respondents in some outcome variable categories.

DISCLOSURES:

This study received funding from the National Cancer Institute, the Betty B. Marcus Chair in Cancer Prevention, and the Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment. Ernest Hawk reported receiving consultant fees from Guardant Health, grants from Exact Sciences, and serving on multiple external scientific advisory boards. Additional disclosures are noted in the original article.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.