Europe’s risk of alcohol-related cancer

Europe’s drinking habits are putting its people at a higher risk of cancer, a report by the United European Gastroenterology group finds.
Europeans drink more alcohol than people on any other continent 

Cancers that can be caused by alcohol
1. Mouth and throat: Oral cancers are about six
times more common in drinkers than non-drinkers
2. Larynx: Heavy drinkers have about three times
risk of developing laryngeal cancer
3. Oesophagus: Five-year survival rate is 15%
4. Breast: In Europe 7.7% of breast cancers are
attributable to alcohol 
5. Liver: Cirrhosis increases risk by 12%
6. Gastric: Stomach cancer. 7. Pancreas
8. Bowel: Bacteria in bowel can convert alcohol
into acetaldehyde which is carcinogenic

Alcohol consumption per person* (litres pure alcohol, 2010)
*aged 15 years or older

Asia 5.2
Africa 6.0
World 6.5
North America 8.2
South America 8.4
Australia/ Oceania 10.1
Europe 11.2

Europe’s heaviest drinkers (litres pure alcohol, 2016)

Lithuania 18.2
Czech Rep. 13.7
Romania 13.7
Bulgaria 13.6
Croatia 13.6
Belgium 13.2
UK 12.3
Poland 12.3
Hungary 12.3
France 11.7
Germany 11.4
Slovenia 11.3

Sources: BioMed Central, Cancer Research UK, EurekAlert, WHO