Abstract
Background Associations between alcohol quantity, frequency, and cancer mortality are not well characterized. Total alcohol consumption, the usual measure, combines quantity and frequency. Methods Associations were studied in a pooled National Health Interview Survey cohort (n=323,354). By 2006, 8,362 participants died of cancer. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate relative risks [RR]. Results Among current drinkers, for all-site cancer mortality, higher quantity drinking (3+ drinks v 1 per drinking day) was associated with increased risk among men (RR 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–1.41, p-value for linear trend [p]=.001) while higher frequency (3+ v <1 day/week) was associated with increased risk among women (RR 1.32, CI 1.13–1.55, p<.001). Results were similar for lung cancer mortality; however, among never smokers, results were null. For colorectal cancer mortality, higher quantity was associated with increased risk among women (RR 1.93, CI 1.17–3.18, p=.034); higher frequency drinking was associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (RR 1.55, CI 1.01–2.38, p quadratic effect =.026), and tended to be associated with increased risk of breast cancer (RR 1.44, CI 0.96–2.17, p=.056). Conclusions Alcohol quantity and frequency were independently associated with higher risk of all-site and cancer-specific mortality. No funding was received.
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