Alcohol May Raise Pancreatic Cancer Risk

Whether you’re celebrating a win, gathering with family and friends or with your sweetie on date night, many of us enjoy a cocktail now and then. But what about regularly imbibing? Does it pose any risks—or benefits?

Though not a good reason to start drinking if you don’t already imbibe, there is some evidence that drinking small amounts of red wine regularly may have health benefits for your heart. The emphasis here is on “small amounts.” A typical serving size of wine is 5 ounces (beer is 12 ounces and liquor is 1.5 ounces). 

Despite alcohol’s potential benefits, heavier drinking is associated with several negative health consequences, including liver damage and an increased risk of cancer. It also does a number on mental health, as it disrupts the brain’s neurotransmitters, elevating the risk of anxiety, depression and impulsivity, and may even result in psychosis.

Considering cancer, there is evidence that alcohol is a carcinogen, increasing the risk of many types of cancer, including breast, colon, esophageal and liver cancers. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists alcohol as a group-1 carcinogen, meaning that there’s evidence that alcohol causes cancer and isn’t just associated with it. But studies have been inconclusive regarding alcohol consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the 10th most common cancer in the U.S., with 67,000 Americans predicted to get pancreatic cancer in 2025—that’s 184 people diagnosed every day. And while pancreatic cancer ranks 10th in the top 10 most common cancers, it’s often caught at its later stages, making recovery less likely. Pancreatic cancer accounted for 5% of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and its incidence and mortality rates are 4 to 5 times higher in Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Eastern Asia compared to other regions of the world.

An international board of researchers took a closer look at the alcohol-pancreatic cancer association. They recently published their findings in PLOS Medicine. Let’s break them down.

How Was This Study Conducted?

Researchers drew data from 30 worldwide studies. Specifically, they were looking for alcohol intake and pancreatic cancer diagnoses to find associations between the two. This study included almost 2.5 million participants with an average age of 57, 62% of whom were women. Participants were followed for an average of 16 years, during which time, over 10,000 participants developed pancreatic cancer.

Researchers also adjusted for demographic information during statistical analyses, including factors like sex, country, smoking habits, weight, height, race, ethnicity, education, physical activity and diabetes status.

What Did This Study Show?

After running several statistical analyses, researchers found that, compared to light drinkers, moderate drinkers had a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Moderate drinking included alcohol intakes of 30 grams or more per day for men and 15 grams or more per day for women. Fifteen grams is roughly equal to the amount of alcohol in about one standard serving size of any alcoholic drink. 

The association between drinking and pancreatic cancer risk went up with greater alcohol intake. Specifically: 

• Each increase of 10 grams of alcohol per day was associated with a 3% increase in pancreatic cancer risk. 
• In women, compared to light alcohol intake (0.1 to 5 grams/day), alcohol intake of 15 to 30 grams per day was associated with a 12% increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
• In men, alcohol intake of 30 to 60 grams per day and more than 60 grams per day was associated with a 15% and 36% increased risk, respectively. 

Interestingly, beer and liquor showed associations, but wine did not. There was also no association between alcohol and pancreatic cancer in Asian participants. 

This study does have some limitations. All alcohol intakes were self-reported, and it’s known that people tend to underestimate their intake. This study also took a limited snapshot of alcohol consumption, taking only the previous year’s intake into account—so it didn’t take into account alcohol intake during younger years. It also didn’t take into account different patterns of alcohol intake, including binge drinking. 

How Does This Apply to Real Life?

We know that alcohol can be a sensitive topic, but there is power in making informed decisions. Alcohol has been proven to cause several types of cancer, and this study suggests a connection between alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer. And because pancreatic cancer is often not caught until it has progressed, treatment may be ineffective. 

If you average one drink a day as a woman or two drinks a day as a man, you may be increasing your risk of pancreatic cancer, according to this study. The risk may greatly increase as you drink more. This study did highlight that beer and liquor were the biggest offenders, so the jury is still out regarding wine. 

Experts at the National Institutes of Health note that drinking less is better for health than drinking more. It’s important to assess your drinking habits. How often are you drinking? And when you do drink, how much are you drinking? Binge drinking has negative health consequences, too. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women in a sitting at least once in the past month.

Cancer isn’t the only thing alcohol is related to. While small amounts of red wine might support heart health, overimbibing increases your risk of heart disease. And though booze might help you fall asleep faster, it ultimately disrupts sleep. This may play a role in why alcohol can also lower immunity.

Another area to assess regarding alcohol use is why you’re drinking. Has it become an after-work habit that you might be able to replace with a healthier habit? Or are you using it to feel better or escape stress? If you feel you need help reducing how much you’re drinking or help quitting, see your healthcare practitioner or call a helpline.

The Bottom Line

This study suggests that regular drinking—about two drinks per day for men or one drink per day for women—may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer, and the risk goes up the more you drink. Beer and liquor showed the strongest associations. If you need help quitting or reducing drinking, reach out. Talk to a trusted friend, see your healthcare practitioner or call the SAMHSA helpline.