Skip to main content

Cancer Prevention Action Week 2025 – Thank you!

Cancer Prevention Action Week 2025 ran from 23–29 June – highlighting the links between alcohol and cancer.

Thank you for your help in making it a huge success!

Cancer Prevention Action Week 2025

Explore the week’s activity

What happened during CPAW25?
World Cancer Research Fund staff and supporters outside parliament

What happened during CPAW25?

Get a rundown of all the activity over the week

Downing Street petition handover
World Cancer Research Fund, AHA and our supporters at No10 Downing Street handing in our petition

Downing Street petition handover

We handed in an open letter and a petition demanding a National Alcohol Strategy to prevent cancer

Why Brits don't talk about alcohol
Two women in a pub talking

Why Brits don't talk about alcohol

Sex and money are more comfortable topics of conversation

Still time to sign the petition
Demand a National Alcohol Strategy

Still time to sign the petition

You’re not too late to add your voice and join the movement

Why can't you say no?
someone putting their hand up saying no when offered a bottle of beer

Why can't you say no?

Why is refusing a drink so hard

The psychology of drinking
Younger men enjoy a coffee

The psychology of drinking

There are signs that alcohol consumption is changing across the generations

Let’s change the conversation about alcohol

The facts matter. Please watch and share our video and join the movement.

Alcohol and cancer: let’s talk

In the UK, alcohol is a major part of how many of us socialise, relax, and celebrate. But do we really know the risks we’re taking when we drink?

Our research shows that most people don’t know that drinking any amount of alcohol increases the risk of 7 types of cancer.

Nearly 4% of cancer cases are down to alcohol – around 17,000 new cases every year.

This Cancer Prevention Action Week, we want to spark a national conversation: with friends, family – and within government – about alcohol and cancer.

It’s time to start talking about alcohol and cancer, so that everyone can make more informed choices about alcohol and their health.

Alcohol and cancer – the evidence

  • What you need to know

    Too many people don’t know that drinking any amount of alcohol increases the risk of 7 types of cancer. This year we’re encouraging people to talk about alcohol and cancer to build higher awareness, not only among the public, but also in government.

    We want to start a conversation that will help people lead longer, healthier lives.

    There is strong evidence that all types of alcoholic drink can increase the risk of 7 cancers:

    • breast
    • bowel
    • mouth and throat
    • oesophageal
    • liver
    • stomach

    Alcoholic drinks are also high in calories and can be high in sugar, increasing your risk of gaining weight, if you’re drinking regularly. Living with overweight or obesity increases our risk of at least 13 different types of cancer.

    Cutting back on alcohol – or, ideally, stopping entirely – is always a good idea for our health. After all, it’s one of our scientifically-backed and evidence-based Cancer Prevention Recommendations.

    Consider how you can cut back in your own life and set an encouraging example for others to follow. Why not replace a drink with a donation to World Cancer Research Fund as a reminder of why it’s so important to be aware of how much, when, and why you drink?

    What role do governments play?

    There isn’t enough awareness about the true, long-term harms of alcohol – even though alcohol-related deaths in England are at an all-time high: up 42% since 2019.

    Alongside the immeasurable human cost, is the economic burden placed on society. Alcohol-related cancers cost the NHS alone an estimated £100m annually.

    Despite these stark figures, government action on alcohol remains woefully inadequate. There has been no National Alcohol Strategy since 2012.

    If we are to reduce the impact of alcohol on our health, we need change at a national level.

    That’s why we are calling on the UK government to introduce a National Alcohol Strategy in England that includes:

    • Mandatory alcohol labelling on calories and cancer risk
    • Minimum unit pricing, that is uprated with inflation
    • Strengthened marketing restrictions on alcohol

    Only then can we ensure people have the right information to make decisions about their health.

Want to support our work?

Are you a health professional?

Health professionals have a vital role to play in helping people to reduce how much alcohol they drink. One of our recent surveys showed half of Brits would be comfortable discussing their drinking habits with their health professional.

Learn more about the evidence linking alcohol and cancer and find out how to frame conversations and support for your patients and clients.

  • Download or order copies of our alcohol and cancer factsheet
  • Our short guide for conversations with patients on alcohol and cancer risk
  • Webinar on alcohol and cancer

Dr Nigel Wells, Humber and North Yorkshire GP

If this campaign helps someone pause and ask whether alcohol might be affecting their health, and encourages them to speak to a healthcare professional, it will have made a real difference. We need to make these conversations as routine as those about smoking or diet – and that starts with creating a safe, non-judgemental space in every consultation.

Alcohol and cancer: let's talk
Alcohol and cancer: let's talk guide

Alcohol and cancer: let's talk

A guide for health professionals to help them have conversations about alcohol and cancer

Alcohol and cancer webinar
Health professional at a computer, wearing a stethoscope

Alcohol and cancer webinar

Catch up on the event if you weren’t able to be there

Alcohol and cancer factsheet
The facts about alcohol

Alcohol and cancer factsheet

How alcohol affects the risk of developing cancer

Get involved

Who’s involved?

Our CPAW25 supporters

See who’s pledged their support

Let’s talk

Want to get involved?

Are you a business who’s interested?

Download today

Get our campaign toolkit

All the info about CPAW25 plus assets and shares to download

More on alcohol

Policy factsheet
Policy factsheet on alcohol, on a blue background

Policy factsheet

We outline how our Recommendation to limit alcohol can be rolled out on a national level

What the facts say
Graphic of alcoholic drinks

What the facts say

Our evidence shows that there is no safe level of drinking

Our calorie calculator
Mid adult man looking at wine in supermarket

Our calorie calculator

You may be surprised to know how high in calories alcoholic drinks can be

Showcasing our partner videos

Balance NE is an organisation working to reduce alcohol harm in north-east England.

Alcohol and cancer: A GP's perspective – video provided by Balance NE

Dr James Crosbie on alcohol and cancer risk – video provided by Balance NE

Sheridan: It was a big shock to be diagnosed with breast cancer – video provided by Balance NE