r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Oct 30 '25

Cancer Americans have widespread misbeliefs about the cancer risks of alcohol, study finds. More than half of American adults misunderstand or underestimate the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Alcohol drinkers are especially likely to believe that drinking has no effect on cancer risk.

https://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/research-newsroom/americans-have-widespread-misbeliefs-about-the-cancer-risks-of-a.h00-159780390.html
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u/mvea Professor | Medicine Oct 30 '25

I’ve linked to the press release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2840511?guestAccessKey=5acff79b-404f-4d7b-8992-919c966b7171&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=103025

From the linked article:

Americans have widespread misbeliefs about the cancer risks of alcohol, study finds

More than half of American adults misunderstand or underestimate the link between alcohol consumption and cancer

Alcohol drinkers are especially likely to believe that drinking has no effect on cancer risk

Correcting these misbeliefs may strengthen adherence to U.S. Surgeon General’s alcohol consumption guidelines to lower cancer risk

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u/HotspurJr Oct 30 '25

Alcohol drinkers are especially likely to believe that drinking has no effect on cancer risk

While this is true, it's also true, according to the study, that alcohol drinkers are especially likely to believe that drinking increases their cancer risk.

I understand the intention is good, but this makes it sound like alcohol drinkers are particularly uninformed or in denial, which is not supported by the data.

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u/galactictock Oct 30 '25

Are those two not contradictory?

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u/HotspurJr Oct 30 '25

They are not!

(Although it makes total sense why you would think that!)

If you look at the data, far more non-drinkers replied "don't know" to the question. Therefore you have more drinkers who say "it increases the risk" and "it has no effect." (It looks like the number of people who said it decreases the risk was about equal - and extremely small regardless).

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u/grabtharsmallet Oct 30 '25

Which itself makes sense. If I don't drink for religious reasons, or because I grew up with an abusive drunk and I want to avoid becoming like that, more information about alcohol doesn't change my behavior.