Prospective study of alcohol consumption quantity, frequency, and cancer‐specific mortality in the US population

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.