Alcohol Linked to Pancreatic Cancer Risk in New IARC Study

A recent study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has poured a sobering truth into our glasses: alcohol consumption, particularly beer and spirits, may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. This adds a bitter twist to the surgeon general’s earlier warning, which already linked alcohol to seven other cancers, including breast, liver, and esophageal.

Published in PLOS Medicine, the study tracked 2.5 million people over 16 years, with a median age of 57. Among them, 10,067 developed pancreatic cancer. The findings? Each additional 10 grams of ethanol daily—roughly a small drink—raises pancreatic cancer risk by 3%. Women sipping one to two drinks daily face a 12% higher risk, while men downing two to six drinks see a 15% spike. Heavy drinkers guzzling over 60 grams daily? Their risk surges by 36%. Curiously, wine didn’t stir the same trouble.

Dr. Pietro Ferrari, head of IARC’s Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, noted, "This connection has been underestimated until now." Experts like Dr. Marc Siegel emphasize alcohol’s toxic effect, inflaming pancreatic cells. Dr. Neha Pathak of WebMD adds there’s no truly safe drinking level when it comes to cancer risk, urging deeper research into drinking patterns like binge-drinking.

While the study’s scope was limited—focusing on mid-to-late adulthood and fewer Asian cohorts—it’s a wake-up call. About 75,000 Americans are diagnosed annually with alcohol-related cancers. So, next time you raise a glass, maybe consider a mocktail instead.