Abstract Background The Australian alcohol health guidelines were revised in 2020 to recommend a maximum of 10 drinks/week. We calculated estimates of cancer caused by alcohol use in Australia for the updated recommended limits. Methods Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for cancer incidence in relation to self-reported alcohol consumption (drinks/week) among 225,805 participants aged ≥45 years (2005–2009) in the New South Wales (NSW) 45 and Up Study, an Australian prospective cohort study (baseline n = 267,357). Cumulative absolute risk of cancer to age 85 years was estimated using 0 to 10 drinks/week had an estimated 4.9% higher cumulative absolute risk of an alcohol-related cancer compared to those consuming 0 to <1 drink/week. An estimated 7804 cancer cases (4.6% of all cancer cases) were attributable to alcohol use in 2024. Conclusions The proportion of alcohol-attributable cancers in Australia is substantial and somewhat higher than previously estimated.
Sarich et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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