Cancer Causes & Control: Nearly Half of Americans with a History of Cancer Continue to Drink Alcohol
18:43 31 October, 2026The proportion of Americans who have had cancer or are living with a history of the disease and continue to consume alcohol has remained virtually unchanged over the past eight years. This is the conclusion of researchers from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. The findings were published in the journal Cancer Causes & Control.
The scientists analyzed nationally representative data from nearly four million US adults collected between 2016 and 2024.
They compared alcohol consumption among people with and without a history of cancer, examining both overall drinking rates and episodes of heavy drinking.
Among adults with no previous cancer diagnosis, the proportion who reported drinking alcohol within the past 30 days declined from 53.9% in 2016 to 51.5% in 2024. Among people with a history of cancer, the figure remained virtually unchanged at 45.8% at both the beginning and the end of the study period.
The researchers also found that episodes of heavy drinking were less common among people with a history of cancer than among those without one.
According to the authors, some patients may reduce their alcohol consumption after receiving a cancer diagnosis, including during treatment.
However, the study cannot establish whether individual participants actually changed their drinking habits following a diagnosis. The researchers analyzed overall trends in two groups rather than tracking changes in individual behavior.
Study lead author Kimberly Johnson noted that although alcohol consumption was generally less common among people with a history of cancer, a substantial proportion continued to drink. Healthcare professionals, she said, could use patient consultations as an opportunity to discuss alcohol consumption and its association with cancer risk.
The authors believe the findings highlight the importance of informing patients about the potential risks.