A major European study has shown how drinking alcohol daily can increase women’s risk of breast cancer.
A second glass of wine or beer daily increases the risk by about 5%, according to the Spanish researchers.
The findings come from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer – the EPIC study – and involved more than 330,000 women from ten countries.
During an 11 year period, some 11,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
The study shows how regular alcohol intake may be linked to increased risk of developing the disease – together with indicating the impact of sustain drinking of alcohol over a number of years.
The researchers report that for each 10 grams a day increase in alcohol, the hazard ratios, according to hormonal status, increased by 4.2%.
Researcher María Dolores Chirlaque, of the Universidad de Murcia, said: "In other words, a daily intake of one glass of wine or beer – or less – would correspond to a risk value of one. However, if we increase our intake to two daily glasses of wine or beer, our risk would rise by 4%.
"Alcohol intake is a breast cancer risk factor that can be changed by a personal decision to form healthy habits. Hence, women must be advised and forewarned of the possibility they have to control this factor."
Elio Riboli et al.: Alcohol intake and breast cancer in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition. Int. J. Cancer 15 October 2015; 137, 1921-1930 (2015) [abstract]
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