By: Laurie Edwards for Fibroids1The news about lifestyle factors and breast cancer risk is always changing. In terms of alcohol, one of the most frequently discussed and debated risk factors, a recent study’s conclusions refocus the conversation yet again: whether beer, wine or spirit, or any type of alcohol increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.
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Screening for breast cancer is critical. Since your risk increases as you age, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends that women over the age of 40 have mammograms every one to two years, so talk to your doctor and make sure your screening is up to date.
For women with increased risk, speak with your health care provider about whether or not screening before the age of 40 is appropriate for you.
Not sure about your risk factors? Common ones include family history of breast cancer, personal history of breast cancer, reproductive history/childbearing, and race.
For more details on risk factors and screening methods, consult your physician or visit the NCI. |
In fact, women who consumed more than three alcoholic beverages of any kind per day faced a 30 percent higher risk than women who consumed less than one drink per day. This risk is comparable to that faced by women who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day or women who take oestrogenic hormones.
The study was led by Dr. Arthur Klatsky, adjunct investigator in the Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, and colleagues and was
presented at September’s European Cancer Conference.
Research has long suggested a link between alcohol and breast cancer. “But there has been little data, most of it conflicting, about an independent role played by the choice of beverage type,” said Dr. Klatsky in a news briefing. To this end, Klatsky’s team found that it was how much ethyl alcohol women consumed that mattered in terms of this increased risk.
For the study, one of the largest of its kind, researchers studied the drinking habits of 70,033 women. Other specifics they found included the fact that red and white wine share the same impact and women who had between one and two drinks per day still faced a 10 percent higher risk than women who consumed one drink. The results were consistent across age groups and ethnicities.
“This has been fascinating research. Our group has been involved in studies of alcohol drinking and health for more than three decades, including in the area of heart disease. We are fortunate to have data available about a large, multi-ethnic population with a variety of drinking habits,” said Klatsky.
So what does all this mean for women, especially given that only a small number of women are heavy drinkers and that breast cancer rates vary among different groups of patients? According to experts, a 30 percent relative risk from drinking heavily can be attributed to about five percent of all breast cancers.
Since small amounts of alcohol have been shown to help prevent heart attacks, the health consequences of drinking are complex. However, the ways in which alcohol influences cardiovascular health – such as cholesterol and blood clotting – are not related to breast cancer.
In the end, this study joins a body of research about drinking and health that suggests women who drink in moderation fare better than those who abstain altogether. Further, women who drink heavily should cut down to reduce their risks. Individual preference and concerns over cancer versus heart disease are the center of each patient’s risk-benefit analysis.
