Examining eight studies from North America and Europe on alcohol use and colon cancer, the researchers looked at whether cancer risk was based on personal factors, types of beverage, or anatomic sites in the colon.

The data included 500,000 participants, of whom 4,687 developed colon cancer. Dr. Eunyoung Cho, who led the research, said the study found that the risk of colon cancer increased 21 percent among those who regularly drank 30 to 45 grams, or two to three drinks, of alcohol per day. Those who drank more than 45 grams increased their cancer risk by 51 percent.

The researchers concluded that cancer risk was constant among men and women, regardless of the type of alcoholic beverage consumed. The researchers concluded that alcohol, and no other factor, was responsible for the increased risk of colon cancer.

The study's findings appear in the April 20, 2004 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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