Your Primary Care Physician Can Help You Assess Your Risk
ROME, Ga., April 8, 2025 – Is that tasty drink you plan to throw down at the beach harming your health? It could be.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recently issued an advisory that points to a direct link between an increased risk of cancer and alcohol consumption.
The surgeon general reports that there are about 100,000 alcohol-related cancer cases and about 20,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths annually in the U.S.
The advisory says alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer: breast, colorectal, mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus and liver.
“In most cases, you should probably limit the number of alcoholic drinks to no more than two a day," said Dr. Todd Thompson, who sees patients at Atrium Health Floyd Primary Care Family Medicine & Pediatrics Polk in Cedartown. “Your primary care doctor can help you weigh your risks by looking at your overall health and family history."
Aside from the cancer risk, people who drink a large amount of alcohol run the risk of getting dehydrated, which is a possible side-effect of any alcohol consumption.
“During the summer months, especially in Georgia, everyone needs to be mindful of drinking enough water," Thompson said. “If you are drinking alcohol, you need to make sure you add plenty of water to your routine."
Atrium Health Floyd Primary Care Family Medicine & Pediatrics Polk, 2370 Rockmart Hwy. in Cedartown, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 770-748-7819 to make an appointment.
About Atrium Health Floyd
The Atrium Health Floyd family of health care services is a leading medical provider and economic force in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Floyd strategically combined with Harbin Clinic in 2024 and employs more than 5,200 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at four facilities: Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center – a 361-bed full-service, acute care hospital and regional referral center in Rome, Georgia; Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center in Cedartown, Georgia; and Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, Alabama; and Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Behavioral Health, also in Rome. Together, Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic provide primary care, specialty care and urgent care throughout northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd also operates a stand-alone emergency department in Chattooga County, the first such facility to be built from the ground-up in Georgia.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Advocate Health is nationally recognized for its expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs more than 160,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations and offers one of the nation's largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to redefining care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.