Alcohol and cancer: a position statement from Cancer Council Australia

Winstanley, Margaret; Pratt, Iain S; Chapman, Kathryn; Griffin, Hayley; Croager, Emma; Olver, Ian; Sinclair, Craig; Slevin, Terry

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2011.tb03067.x

Cited by 45 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Within Australia, estimates of annual incidence of alcohol-caused cancers vary from 2.8% [17] to 5.8% [18], with total numbers annually reported to range from 2182 to 6620 [17–19]. Despite this, a survey published in 2014 by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education found that less than one-third of Australians are aware of the link between alcohol and cancer [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Where news information has been deficient or not met public health aims, public health advocates can use this knowledge to develop ways of introducing more effective messages into the news cycle [3], particularly, accurate, unambiguous, and straightforward messages that communicate health news from a public health perspective [2]. In the case of the link between alcohol and cancer, Cancer Council Australia stated in a recent position statement that alcohol use is a cause of cancer, and that any level of alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing an alcohol-related cancer ([18], p. 479).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An examination of Australian newspaper coverage of the link between alcohol and cancer 2005 to 2013

et al. 2017

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BackgroundAlcohol is a Class-1 carcinogen but public awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer is low. The news media is a popular, readily-accessible source of health information and plays a key role in shaping public opinion and influencing policy-makers. Examination of how the link between alcohol and cancer is presented in Australian print media could inform public health advocacy efforts to raise awareness of this modifiable cancer risk factor.MethodThis study provides a summative qualitative content analysis of 1502 articles that included information about a link between alcohol and cancer, as reported within Australian newspaper media (2005–2013). We use descriptive statistics to examine the prominence of reports, the nature and content of claims regarding the link between alcohol and cancer, and the source of information noted in each article.ResultsArticles were distributed throughout newspapers, most appearing within the main (first) section. The link between alcohol and cancer tended not to appear early in articles, and rarely featured in headlines. 95% of articles included a claim that alcohol causes cancer, 5% that alcohol prevented or did not cause cancer, 1% included both. Generally, the amount of alcohol that would cause or prevent cancer was unspecified or open to subjective interpretation. Coverage increased over time, primarily within community/free papers. The claim that alcohol causes cancer often named a specific cancer, did not name a specific alcohol, was infrequently the focus of articles (typically subsumed within an article on general health issues), and cited various health-promoting (including advocacy) organisations as information sources. Articles that included the converse also tended not to focus on that point, often named a specific type of alcohol, and most cited research institutions or generic ‘research’ as sources. Half of all articles involved repetition of materials, and most confirmed that alcohol caused cancer.ConclusionsInformation about a link between alcohol and cancer is available in the Australian newsprint media, but may be hidden within and thus overshadowed by other health-related stories. Strategic collaboration between health promoting organisations, and exploitation of ‘churnalism’ and journalists’ preferences for ready-made ‘copy’ may facilitate increased presence and accuracy of the alcohol-cancer message.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An examination of Australian newspaper coverage of the link between alcohol and cancer 2005 to 2013

et al. 2017

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“…On the basis of the qualitative findings and the existing evidence relating to the relationship between alcohol and cancer [17, 18], a series of 12 statements was developed that included examples of the attributes considered most relevant by the focus group participants. Table 1 lists the statements and their primary attributes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As such, there is a need for effective product labelling as part of a comprehensive educational program to increase the likelihood that drinkers are aware of the increased risk of cancer associated with alcohol consumption. Even low levels of alcohol intake are implicated as a risk factor for a range of cancers [17, 18]. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer [17], “Tumour types caused by drinking alcoholic beverages include cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colorectum, and female breast.” It is estimated that 337 400 deaths per year worldwide are the result of alcohol-attributable cancers [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing cancer warning statements for alcoholic beverages

et al. 2014

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BackgroundThere is growing evidence of the increased cancer risk associated with alcohol consumption, but this is not well understood by the general public. This study investigated the acceptability among drinkers of cancer warning statements for alcoholic beverages.MethodsSix focus groups were conducted with Australian drinkers to develop a series of cancer-related warning statements for alcohol products. Eleven cancer warning statements and one general health warning statement were subsequently tested on 2,168 drinkers via an online survey. The statements varied by message frame (positive vs negative), cancer reference (general vs specific), and the way causality was communicated (‘increases risk of cancer’ vs ‘can cause cancer’).ResultsOverall, responses to the cancer statements were neutral to favorable, indicating that they are unlikely to encounter high levels of negative reaction from the community if introduced on alcoholic beverages. Females, younger respondents, and those with higher levels of education generally found the statements to be more believable, convincing, and personally relevant. Positively framed messages, those referring to specific forms of cancer, and those using ‘increases risk of cancer’ performed better than negatively framed messages, those referring to cancer in general, and those using the term ‘can cause cancer’.ConclusionCancer warning statements on alcoholic beverages constitute a potential means of increasing awareness about the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risk.

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“…In Australia, alcohol consumption accounts for 3% of the total burden of disease and injury 1. Hazardous alcohol consumption has been causally liked to more than 60 different health conditions and contributes to 3450 deaths and 85 435 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per year in Australia 2.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Australian general practitioners engage in discussions about alcohol with their patients: a cross-sectional study

et al. 2016

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ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate factors that inhibit and facilitate discussion about alcohol between general practitioners (GPs) and patients.DesignData analysis from a cross-sectional survey.Setting and participants894 GP delegates of a national health seminar series held in five capital cities of Australia in 2014.Main outcome measuresLikelihood of routine alcohol enquiry; self-assessed confidence in assessing and managing alcohol issues in primary healthcare.ResultsMost GPs (87%) reported that they were likely to routinely ask patients about their alcohol consumption and had sufficient skills to manage alcohol issues (74%). Potential barriers to enquiring about alcohol included perceptions that patients are not always honest about alcohol intake (84%) and communication difficulties (44%). ‘I usually ask about alcohol’ was ranked by 36% as the number one presentation likely to prompt alcohol discussion. Altered liver function test results followed by suspected clinical depression were most frequently ranked in the top three presentations. Suspicious or frequent injuries, frequent requests for sickness certificates and long-term unemployment were ranked in the top three presentations by 20% or less. Confidence in managing alcohol issues independently predicted likelihood to ‘routinely ask’ about alcohol consumption. Lack of time emerged as the single most important barrier to routinely asking about alcohol. Lack of time was predicted by perceptions of competing health issues in patients, fear of eliciting negative responses and lower confidence in ability to manage alcohol-related issues.ConclusionsImproving GPs' confidence and ability to identify, assess and manage at-risk drinking through relevant education may facilitate greater uptake of alcohol-related enquiries in general practice settings. Routine establishment of brief alcohol assessments might improve confidence in managing alcohol issues, reduce the time burden in risk assessment, decrease potential stigma associated with raising alcohol issues and reduce the potential for negative responses from patients.

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Alcohol and cancer: a position statement from Cancer Council Australia

Cited by 45 publications

References 15 publications

An examination of Australian newspaper coverage of the link between alcohol and cancer 2005 to 2013

An examination of Australian newspaper coverage of the link between alcohol and cancer 2005 to 2013

Developing cancer warning statements for alcoholic beverages

How Australian general practitioners engage in discussions about alcohol with their patients: a cross-sectional study

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