Heavy intake of alcohol may spur the development of different types of cancer in middle-aged and older adults.

This study assessed the burden of cancer attributed to alcohol consumption in individuals aged 50 years and above. Researchers matched alcohol use with cancer prevalence in a study population comprising of nearly 17,000 men and women above the age of 49 years recruited from 17 European countries plus Israel. 

Researchers discovered that hazardous drinking of alcohol was responsible for 20% of all cases of cancer diagnosed in the study participants. This study further emphasizes the cancer-promoting actions of alcohol.