Alcohol and cancer series
UICC and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer are organising a series of discussions looking at alcohol and cancer to help better inform and connect the cancer community.
Alcohol use was linked to over 740,000 new cancer cases globally in 2020 (around 4.1% of total new diagnoses)[1], yet the perception and understanding by the public of the link between alcohol use and cancer remain low. A 2020 Ipsos poll found that only 35% of people surveyed believed that alcohol increased your risk of developing cancer,[2] which is likely contributing to the limited integration of alcohol into cancer prevention activities and policies.
In order to curb the harms associated with alcohol use, governments around the world have committed to reducing the consumption of alcohol by 10% by 2025 and 20% by 2030 (compared to 2010 levels). To achieve this, governments will need to adopt and implement effective, evidence-based policies and programmes to protect individuals, families and communities. But those currently prioritised by governments are often not shaped by data alone. Public understanding and acceptability of alcohol play a large role in what actions are taken by policymakers, and industry actors have been active in trying to confuse discussions on the topic. This points to the need for more joint work between government, academia and cancer organisations to engage communities and implement evidence-based policies.
Against this backdrop, UICC and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer are organising a series of discussions looking at alcohol and cancer to help better inform and connect the cancer community. The series includes two Virtual Dialogues - details below - and will culminate with an in-person session at the World Cancer Congress in Geneva on 18 October 2022.
Check out the individual dialogues in the series and register your participation from each event page below.
This series is organised in collaboration with the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
[1] Rumgay H et al (2021) Global burden of cancer in 2020 attributable to alcohol consumption: a population-based study. Lancet Oncology 22(8), P1071-1080
[2] UICC & IPSOS (2020) International Public Opinion Survey on Cancer. https://www.worldcancerday.org/sites/default/files/2020-01/WCD20_IntPublicOpinionPoll_Report_FA_Screen.pdf [Accessed 10 August 2022]
Access recordings from the series below
Alcohol and Cancer series: What's the evidence?
Alcohol and Cancer series: How can we ensure effective policies?
UICC's Virtual Dialogues provide members, and the cancer community, with regular opportunities to connect, exchange knowledge, access expert insights, and share solutions from the comfort of one's office or home.
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Last update
Tuesday 02 April 2024