Alcohol’s Cancer Risk — What Every Kentuckian Should Know

Host: Mindy McCulley, MS Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Specialist for Instructional Support, University of Kentucky 

Guest: Dr. Leah Winer, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center

Cancer Conversations Episode 70

In this episode of Cancer Conversations on Talking FACS, host Mindy McCulley welcomes Dr. Leah Winer, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, to unpack the Surgeon General's advisory linking alcohol consumption to increased cancer risk.

They discuss why public awareness of the alcohol–cancer connection is low, how alcohol causes harm at the cellular level, and why even small amounts may raise risk. Dr. Winer explains which cancers are most strongly connected to alcohol—mouth and throat cancers, larynx, breast, liver, esophageal, and colorectal cancers—and how alcohol may compound other risks like smoking or obesity.

The conversation covers implications of the advisory, including potential warning labels on alcoholic beverages, reassessment of drinking guidelines, and gaps in research (patterns of drinking, age of initiation, and whether risk falls after stopping). Practical advice includes: don’t start drinking if you don’t already, consider reducing or stopping intake, know your family history and screening recommendations, and seek support for dependence when needed.

Tune in for clear, research-based guidance on reducing cancer risk and how to translate the Surgeon General’s advisory into day-to-day choices for better health.