Current evidence suggests that alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer. Some research also links alcohol consumption to an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence or secondary breast cancer.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends avoiding alcohol or limiting alcohol consumption to no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
Research has linked alcohol consumption to an increased risk of breast cancer. This is because regularly drinking alcohol can:
- damage tissues
- cause oxidative stress to cells
- limit the body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients
- increase levels of estrogen, which is a hormone involved in breast tissue growth and development
No strong or consistent evidence suggests that drinking alcohol after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis makes the condition worse. However, alcohol consumption can have other negative effects on a person’s physical and mental health.
Alcohol can also impact a person’s treatment, increasing the risk of harmful drug interactions and side effects.
Read on to learn more about the connection between alcohol and breast cancer. This article also provides tips for limiting alcohol consumption.
Several factors can affect a person’s risk of breast cancer, including genetic and environmental factors. Alcohol consumption is one of the modifiable risk factors.
According to the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, strong evidence indicates that drinking alcohol raises the risk of breast cancer.
Research has linked even light alcohol consumption to an increased risk. A 2018 review pooled the results of 60 past studies on alcohol and cancer, including 27 studies on breast cancer incidence. It found that:
- Drinking up to half an alcoholic drink per day raised the risk of breast cancer by 4%.
- Drinking up to one alcoholic drink per day raised the risk of breast cancer by 9%.
- Drinking one to two alcoholic drinks per day raised the risk of breast cancer by 13%.
The authors of this study defined one drink as containing 12.5 grams (g) of alcohol.
According to one 2020 review, studies have also found stronger links between alcohol consumption and breast cancer in North America than in other parts of the world.
More research is necessary to understand why this is. However, it might reflect regional differences in how frequently people binge drink, among other things.
Few studies have looked at alcohol consumption following a breast cancer diagnosis.
Although more research is necessary, no strong or consistent evidence currently suggests that drinking alcohol reduces a person’s chance of surviving breast cancer. However, some evidence suggests that alcohol consumption may raise the risk of breast cancer recurrence or secondary breast cancer.
Drinking can also raise a person’s risk of other health conditions, such as:
- liver disease
- high blood pressure
- depression
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Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/alcohol-and-breast-cancer-2