Discussing alcohol and cancer with patients: Knowledge and practices of general practitioners in New South Wales and South Australia.

Background: Alcohol is associated with several cancers; however, the Australian community has low awareness of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Little information exists regarding when and why general practitioners (GPs) discuss alcohol with patients.

Objective: The objective of this article is to explore GPs' attitudes and practices when discussing alcohol with patients. This includes awareness of alcohol recommendations and evidence of the alcohol-cancer link, and discussion around barriers and enablers to encouraging patients' alcohol behaviour change.

Results: GPs did not routinely ask patients about their alcohol consumption or advise on drinking recommendations. Many had a broad understanding of alcohol as a cancer risk factor, but knowledge of the causal mechanisms and current evidence was limited.

Discussion: GPs are trusted health advisers. Providing them with up-to-date evidence on the alcohol-cancer link and drinking recommendations may encourage routine patient screening of alcohol consumption and delivery of simple education on the harms of long-term drinking.