(CNN) Over 4% of all new cancer cases in 2020 were attributable to alcohol consumption, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal The Lancet Oncology. The researchers analyzed available data on population-level alcohol use in 2010 and on cancer cases in 2020. They assumed a 10-year period between alcohol consumption and the appearance of cancer, since the types of cancer included in the study -- lip and oral cavity cancer, laryngeal cancer and breast cancer (among females) -- have lengthy development periods and previous evidence of a causal relationship with alcohol consumption. Of the 741,300 new alcohol-attributable cancer cases diagnosed last year, men represented 568,700 cases, while women accounted for 172,600 cases, the researchers found. Drinking 20 to 60 grams, two to six drinks, of ethanol alcohol per day, which the authors defined as "risky drinking," represented 39.4% of alcohol-attributable cancer cases.

Source: CNN July 13, 2021 22:30 UTC