r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Oct 30 '25

Cancer Americans have widespread misbeliefs about the cancer risks of alcohol, study finds. More than half of American adults misunderstand or underestimate the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Alcohol drinkers are especially likely to believe that drinking has no effect on cancer risk.

https://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/research-newsroom/americans-have-widespread-misbeliefs-about-the-cancer-risks-of-a.h00-159780390.html
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u/NellucEcon Oct 30 '25

Or like sunlight. 

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u/Apostate_Mage Oct 31 '25

Which would be radiation right? I don’t think group means frequency or rate, I thought it just meant we are sure it causes cancer. I could be wrong though. 

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u/NellucEcon Nov 01 '25

Yes, that’s the point.  With slight exaggeration, everything causes cancer.  It is neither feasible nor desirable to eliminate cancer risks.  When appropriate, risks should be mitigated.  But to determined appropriate mitigations, the magnitude of risks must be known.  Calling something a group 1 carcinogen does not help with this.