What You Need to Know about Preventing...
Liver Cancer
What’s the Evidence?
There is evidence that alcoholic drinks probably increase your risk of liver cancer. This one of the reasons AICR recommends limiting alcoholic drinks to no more than two drinks a day for a man and one for a woman.
(There is also convincing evidence that aflatoxins, a fungus that can arise in improperly stored grain, are a cause of liver cancer. Note, however that this is generally only a problem in the developing world.)
How Preventable is Liver Cancer?
According to AICR experts, limiting alcoholic drinks could prevent fifteen percent of US liver cancers every year.
That's over 4,000 cases this year. (Based on 2012 incidence data.)
What the Panel’s Judgments Mean
Convincing
strong, consistent and unlikely to change in the future
Probable
compelling but not quite strong or consistent enough to be "convincing"
Limited Evidence – Suggestive
too limited for a grade of "probable", but a general consistency in the data
Limited Evidence – No Conclusion
too inconsistent or insufficient for a definitive grade
Substantial Effect on Risk Unlikely
enough evidence to rule out a connection
Published on June 6, 2012
