While 86 per cent of drinkers realised the link between drinking alcohol and liver disease, awareness was far lower for other diseases, including breast cancer (seven per cent), throat cancer (25 per cent) and mouth cancer (28 per cent).

Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of health information, commented: "We know from decades of research that alcohol can increase the risk of several cancers, including cancers of the breast, bowel, liver, mouth, foodpipe, throat and voicebox.

"Scientists estimate that alcohol is responsible for around 9,000 cancer deaths every year in the UK."

Sara Hiom explained that alcohol is converted into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde by the body, and this chemical can lead to cancer by damaging DNA and stopping cells from repairing this damage.

"Alcohol can also increase levels of oestrogen and unusually high levels of oestrogen can increase the risk of breast cancer," she noted.

"The simple message is that the more you drink the greater your cancer risk, but the more you cut down the more you reduce that risk." 

Source: Cancer Research UK