Alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States have more than doubled since 1990
A new Lancet Regional Health - Americas study finds that U.S. cancer deaths linked to alcohol rose from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023, with men over 55 most affected.
A study published on September 2, 2026, in The Lancet Regional Health - Americas calculated that alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States more than doubled over the past three decades, climbing from 11,361 in 1990 to 23,126 in 2023. The researchers derived these figures by merging alcohol consumption information from health surveys and sales records with cancer mortality data from the Global Burden of Disease project.
The rise is driven primarily by older men, with liver cancer representing the dominant cause of death in males over 55. Women of the same age group show the strongest link between alcohol and breast cancer, while men aged 20-54 see colorectal cancer as the leading alcohol-related cancer fatality. The authors stress that these are modelled estimates, not counts of deaths officially recorded as caused by alcohol. Chinmay Jani, a co-author, highlighted the need for broader public awareness of alcohol’s cancer risks beyond liver disease.
