By Ayo Kehinde
A new global study has found that alcohol consumption—particularly beer and spirits—is linked to a heightened risk of pancreatic cancer.
The research, conducted by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), pooled health data from nearly 2.5 million individuals across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.
The findings revealed a “modest but significant” association between alcohol intake and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, irrespective of gender or smoking status.
Although pancreatic cancer is only the twelfth most common cancer worldwide, it is responsible for roughly 5 percent of cancer-related deaths due to its high mortality rate and late-stage diagnosis.
“Alcohol consumption is a known carcinogen, but until now, the evidence linking it specifically to pancreatic cancer has been considered inconclusive,” said Pietro Ferrari, senior author of the study and Head of the Nutrition and Metabolism Branch at IARC.
The pancreas is a crucial organ that produces enzymes to aid digestion and hormones to regulate blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers, with limited treatment options and poor survival rates.
According to the study, each additional 10 grams of alcohol consumed daily increases pancreatic cancer risk by 3 percent.
For women consuming between 15 to 30 grams of alcohol per day—equivalent to about one to two standard drinks—the risk of pancreatic cancer rose by 12 percent compared to light drinkers.
Among men, those who consumed 30 to 60 grams daily had a 15 percent higher risk, while those exceeding 60 grams faced a 36 percent increased risk.
“Alcohol is often consumed alongside tobacco, raising questions about potential confounding effects. However, our analysis showed that even among non-smokers, alcohol consumption independently increased the risk of pancreatic cancer,” Ferrari noted.
He added that more research is required to understand the long-term impact of alcohol use, including drinking patterns such as binge consumption and exposure from an early age.
