04/25/08
For years we have had research that links alcohol and breast cancer. I have included slides on the subject in every one of my breast cancer lectures for the past several years. There have been numerous studies over the years, inconclusively linking breast cancer and alcohol. Several large cohort studies were done in the 1990's, and stronger and larger studies have been done in the more recent past. In fact, there was a study in 2007 that analyzed the drinking habits of 70,000+ women over 7 years, and researchers found that drinking as little as two drinks a day increased the risk of breast cancer, regardless of the type of alcohol consumed.
Well, here we are today, and earlier this month, there was announcement of a study performed by the National Cancer Institute that alcohol is linked to breast cancer. They studied 184,000+ women and found that women who drink several alcoholic drinks a day can and do substantially increase their risk of breast cancer. This study also found no discrimination between the type of alcohol consumed, albeit wine, beer, or liquor, mirroring the results of the prior study from 2007 and corroborating the implications of previous cohort studies from earlier this decade, and from the 1990s decade. This new study was announced at the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 annual general meeting in San Diego.
What is interesting to note is that in this study, there was an increase in estrogen and progesterone positive breast cancer tumors. This assumes that alcohol affects estrogen metabolism, which increases risk of hormone sensitive breast cancer. Also, this does not mean that women who neither drink nor smoke will not develop breast cancer; rather, this theorizes that alcohol can simply increase the risk for breast cancer.
The AICR recommends no more than 1 drink/day for women, and 2 drinks/day for men. I certainly am not recommending complete abstinence to my patients; rather, I am trying to get the information out there to empower everybody. I still believe that 3-4 drinks/week is a healthy moderation that allows for enjoyment and quality of life. Knowledge is power—let's maximize its potential.
Rachel S. Beller, MS, RD
Beller Nutritional Institute, LLC
