Alcohol and liver cancer

Drinking alcohol causes liver cancer. Your risk of developing liver cancer starts even at low levels of drinking and the risk increases the more you drink, especially if you do so on a regular basis.^1,2,3

Not everyone who drinks alcohol will get liver cancer, but the risks may start to increase even at low levels of drinking.⁴ So, the less you drink, the more you reduce your risk.

Heavy, long-term alcohol consumption is a common cause of cirrhosis of the liver, where healthy liver tissue is permanently replaced by scar tissue. Cirrhosis causes this scar tissue to build up in the liver, stopping it from working properly.⁵ People with cirrhosis are substantially more likely to develop liver cancer.⁶

Liver cancer and alcohol

The liver is a resilient organ, which can recover after damage. However, if the liver is seriously challenged by long-term alcohol consumption, cirrhosis is likely to follow and with that, increased risk of liver cancer.⁷

If you have been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver you must stop drinking alcohol completely and permanently, otherwise your risk of getting liver cancer as well as liver failure are very high.

Even low levels of alcohol may be harmful because the liver can produce toxic substances from alcohol even before cirrhosis has developed, which may contribute to the development of liver cancer.^8,9

Nearly half of all of liver cancer cases in the UK are preventable (49%). Around 7% of cases in the UK are caused by drinking alcohol.¹⁰

What are the benefits of drinking less?

Other causes of liver cancer 

Tobacco causes many types of cancer. Importantly, if you drink heavily as well as smoke, your risk of getting liver cancer is higher than with either drinking or smoking alone.¹¹

Chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis virus B or C also causes liver cancer. If you drink heavily and have hepatitis B or C infection, your risk of getting liver cancer is higher than with either drinking or viral infection alone.¹²

Liver cancer symptoms 

Early diagnosis is associated with an improved chance of survival. So if you have any of the following symptoms, they must not be ignored. Even if it turns out not to be cancer, these symptoms are always worth getting checked out. Symptoms of liver cancer include:¹³

• The whites of your eyes or your skin turning yellow
• Loss of appetite, or losing weight without trying to
• Feeling tired or having no energy
• Feeling generally unwell or having flu-like symptoms
• A lump in the right side of your tummy               

The NHS recommends getting advice from 111 if:¹⁴ 

• Your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow
• You're being sick (vomiting) for more than two days
• You have symptoms that you are worried about, but are not sure where to get help

How to reduce your drinking

Liver cancer prevention 

The less alcohol you drink, the lower your risk of getting liver cancer.¹⁵

That’s because, when it comes to alcohol-related cancers, there is no completely risk-free level of consumption as your risk increases the more you drink on a regular basis.

If you are a heavy drinker, it’s important to get advice from your GP or local alcohol support service on how to stop drinking safely – stopping ‘cold turkey’ can be dangerous if you are alcohol dependent.

The following can also reduce your risk of liver cancer:

• Not drinking at all, or (if you haven’t already got liver cirrhosis) drinking at low levels and well below 14 units a week
• Not smoking
• Getting viral hepatitis (B and C) infection diagnosed and treated without delay
• Maintaining a healthy weight - avoiding obesity¹⁶

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs') low risk drinking guidelines advise that - if you choose to drink - to keep health risks low, it’s safest to drink no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days with several drink-free days, and no bingeing.¹⁷ 

Cutting back - by reducing the amount you drink, taking drink-free days, or both - will lower your risk of serious diseases and is likely to improve your overall physical and mental health.

Not sure if you're drinking too much? Take our two-minute confidential Drinking Check

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