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Alcohol causes at least 7 types of cancer

You probably know that smoking or spending too long in the sun can cause cancer, but it's less known that alcohol use can increase the risk of at least seven types of cancer.

It might surprise you to know this link was first found more than 30 years ago. Yet research from our Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer finds the majority of Australians are unaware that alcohol causes cancer, with fewer than one in five of us aware it could cause breast cancer.

There is strong evidence that alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer, including:

  • Pharynx (throat)
  • Mouth
  • Larynx (throat)
  • Oesophagus
  • Liver
  • Breast (female)
  • Bowel.

Our 'Spread' campaign outlines how alcohol makes its way through the body, damaging the healthy cells it passes along the way. The campaign has been commissioned by Cancer Council Victoria in an effort to raise awareness of the link between drinking alcohol and cancer, while encouraging people to reduce their drinking to reduce their risk.

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