Stomach Cancer Support Network has two short videos that zoom in on the same big idea from two angles, alcohol is not a neutral “lifestyle detail” when stomach cancer is on the table. One video focuses on surgery prep and recovery, the other on prevention, but both land on the same practical point, the safest baseline is to avoid alcohol and be honest with your clinical team about your drinking.

In “Is alcohol use risky before stomach cancer surgery?” they say alcohol use before the operation is risky and strongly discouraged because it can raise the chance of complications during and after surgery. The video links this to several mechanisms, weaker immune function (higher infection risk), effects on blood clotting (bleeding risk) and wound healing, plus extra strain on the liver, which matters for processing medications and recovering from anesthesia. They also flag that heavy drinking can create withdrawal problems if alcohol is stopped abruptly right before surgery, so the key message is to stop well ahead of time and follow a plan that your surgeon or doctor gives you.

In “Why is alcohol abstinence important for stomach cancer prevention?” the video argues that alcohol can damage the stomach lining and promote inflammation, and it highlights acetaldehyde, a toxic breakdown product of ethanol, as carcinogenic. It also notes that IARC classifies alcohol related exposures as Group 1 carcinogens, meaning there is strong evidence of cancer risk in humans, and that risk can build over time even with “moderate” drinking. The takeaway is not a quick fix promise, but a risk reduction message, reducing alcohol helps, abstaining helps more, and it is especially relevant for people who already have other risk factors (the video mentions Helicobacter pylori infection and family history). For the evidence base behind those carcinogen points, see IARC and NCI summaries.

Find more from Stomach Cancer Support Network (December 2025)