By Jane Collingwood
Even small amounts of alcohol can raise a woman’s risk of developing several kinds of cancer, researchers warned last night.
The average woman has about one alcoholic drink each day, but a team from Cancer Research UK say that regularly having one or two alcoholic drinks a day may be risky.
They analysed figures from middle-aged women taking part in the Million Women Study, including 68,775 cases of cancer.
The team conclude that about 118 of these cancers are diagnosed for every 1,000 women up to the age of 75. For every drink, they estimate that there will be about 15 extra cases. For women who average two drinks per day, they expect there to be 30 extra cases. The type of alcohol does not make a difference.
About 13 per cent of all cancers of the breast, liver, rectum and mouth and throat are due to alcohol consumption, say Dr Naomi Allen of Oxford University, UK, and colleagues.
The majority of these cancers are breast cancer, they believe. Dr Allen said: "These findings suggest that even relatively low levels of drinking – about one or two alcoholic drinks every day – increase a woman’s risk of developing cancer of the breast, liver and rectum, and in smokers, cancers of the mouth and throat."
Sara Hiom of Cancer Research UK commented: "It is important that women are as well informed as possible so they can take responsible decisions over how much alcohol they drink.
"Cancer Research UK recommends that the more you cut down on alcohol, the more you reduce your cancer risk. The more you drink the greater the risk."
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