Drinking one pint of beer, a large glass of wine or a couple of measures of spirits a day increases the risk of liver and bowel cancers by a fifth, a health expert warned yesterday.
Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), says two units of alcohol a day increases the risk of bowel cancer by 18% and the risk of liver cancer by 20%. "When you consider how many cases of these types of cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year, it is clear that drinking even relatively small amounts of alcohol can make a significant difference," she said.
"Yet despite strong evidence, most people still do not know that alcohol increases risk of cancer, so it is clear we need to do more to get this message across."
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, with more than 36,500 people diagnosed with it every year and around 16,000 dying from it. In addition, more than 3,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with liver cancer each year and a similar number die. According to the WCRF, there is also convincing evidence that drinking alcohol also increases the risk of breast cancer and cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus.
The charity recommends not drinking alcohol at all in order to prevent cancer but, if people do drink, it says they should limit it to two units a day for a man or one for a woman. One unit equals half a pint of normal strength beer, lager or cider, one 25ml single measure of spirits, or one 125ml small glass of wine.
Government recommendations are that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol per day and women should not regularly drink more than two to three units.
Previous studies have shown that modest amounts of alcohol may have a protective effect when it comes to heart disease. But Thompson said this was only relevant for people at particular risk of heart disease, such as men aged over 40 and postmenopausal women.
A spokes man for the Department of Health said: "We recognise the risks of cancer arising from alcohol consumption. In some cases, these begin to rise at or below the government's guideline levels for regular consumption.
"As the WCRF notes, health advice on regular alcohol consumption takes account of a wide range of conditions, including a protective effect for heart disease in men over 40 and post-menopausal women. This study appears to be broadly consistent with known estimated risks, though we look forward to examining it in more detail."