By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – World health Organization on Monday issued a new study found that alcoholic drinks, especially beer and spirits, may raise the risk of pancreatic cancer.
The research, led by the WHO’s centre for cancer research, pooled data from 2.5 million people across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.
It revealed a “modest but significant” association between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, regardless of sex or smoking status.
Pietro Ferrari, senior author of the study at the international cancer research agency and Head of Nutrition and Metabolism Branch at the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer said that “Alcohol consumption is a known carcinogen, but until now, the evidence linking it specifically to pancreatic cancer has been considered inconclusive.”
It said that the pancreas is a vital organ that produces enzymes for digestion and hormones that regulate blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal cancers, largely due to late diagnosis.
The IARC study found that each additional 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day was associated with a 3% increase in pancreatic cancer risk.
It said that for women consuming 15 to 30 grams of alcohol daily about one to two drinks the risk rose by 12% compared to light drinkers.
Men those who drank 30 to 60 grams daily faced a 15% increased risk, while men drinking over 60 grams daily saw a 36% higher risk.
“Alcohol is often consumed in combination with tobacco, which has led to questions about whether smoking might confound the relationship,” Mr. Ferrari said.
“However, our analysis showed that the association between alcohol and pancreatic cancer risk holds even for non-smokers, indicating that alcohol itself is an independent risk factor.”
He said that further research is needed to better understand the impact of lifetime alcohol consumption, including patterns such as binge drinking and early-life exposure.
Pancreatic cancer is the 12th most common cancer globally, but it accounts for 5% of cancer-related deaths due to its high fatality rate.
In 2022, incidence and mortality rates were up to 5 times higher in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and Eastern Asia than in other regions.
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