More than a quarter of alcohol-related deaths are due to cancer, a report has warned.

The link between alcohol and the disease is being highlighted in new guidance for health professionals published by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP).

The advice stresses emerging research which shows smokers who also drink have a 30 times increased risk of developing cancers of the lip, mouth and throat, compared to people who drink or smoke alone.

Drinking is linked to a number of different types of cancers, including breast, colon, liver, stomach, pancreatic, lung and melanoma.

SHAAP warns that alcohol can interfere with recovery from cancer, including affecting  the way some chemotherapy drugs work.

Some evidence suggests that breast cancer recurrence is more likely in people who drink more than five units of alcohol per week.

Dr Eric Carlin, director of SHAAP, said health professionals were “ideally placed” to offer support to help patients who wish to reduce their alcohol consumption.

He said: “Our clinicians tell us that patients welcome tactful, empathetic inquiry about aspects of their lifestyle which may have an impact on their health.

“The provision of up to date, evidence-based advice about cancer risks associated with alcohol enables people to make informed choices to review their behaviours.”

According to guidance issued jointly by the UK Chief Medical Officers in 2016, there is no safe level of alcohol consumption in relation to cancer risk.

Scotland’s chief medical officer Dr Catherine Calderwood welcomed the publication of the new SHAAP advice.

“This is a fantastic resource for all health colleagues, and I encourage everyone to use it in conversations with their patients,” she said.

Professor Annie Anderson, chair of the Scottish Cancer Prevention Network, said as cancer rates increased, the need for alcohol intake to decrease was “increasingly important”.

She added: “The new SHAAP guidance gives clear messages about positive routes to decrease cancer risks from alcohol consumption for everyone.”