NewsHealth & MedicineIs alcohol linked to cancer? Heres what the science saysA new report aims to help people make informed decisions about whether and how much to drink A new U.S. Surgeon Generals report seeks to raise awareness about the link between drinking alcohol and developing seven different types of cancer. Many Americans don't know of the risk.urbazon/E+/Getty Images PlusBy Aimee Cunningham1 hour agoThe link between drinking alcohol and developing cancer, described in a new report by the U.S. Surgeon General, may come as a surprise to many Americans.Although evidence for this link has been growing for some time, fewer than half of Americans are aware of the association, according to the 2019 Cancer Risk Awareness Survey. Thats in contrast to tobacco, which 89 percent of the survey respondents identified as a cancer risk.The Surgeon Generals Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, released January 3, puts the link between drinking alcohol and developing seven different types of cancer including esophagus, breast, liver and colorectal in the spotlight to help increase awareness. The report calls for adding information about cancer risk to the Surgeon Generals health warning labels on alcohol. And it recommends public health professionals and health care providers discuss the risk, which generally increases the more one drinks, with patients and the public. That way, people can take the risk into account in choosing whether or how much to drink.