In 1980, a research study was initiated with input from 105, 986 nurses, 30to 55 years old. The study investigated the relationship between light alcoholconsumption and breast cancer. The study was completed in 2008. Researchresults encompass close to 30 years of data and were published in the Journalof the American Medical Association in November 2011.
Facts to Ponder
Think about these facts and their impact on the final study results beforemaking a personal decision about whether or not to drink socially.
A woman’s baseline, lifetime risk for breast cancer is 1 in 8. The baseline,lifetime average risk for heart disease is 1 in 2. A few drinks a week reducesthe incidence of heart disease by 25-40%.The Study Details
The type of alcohol that women consumed did not impact the research results.Beer, wine and hard liquor reaped the same statistics.
The participants answered questionnaires on a regular basis about theiralcohol intake. They remained in the study for the duration or until they diedor were diagnosed with cancer. Life factors such as age of menses andmenopause, family history, weight and whether the participant smoked were takeninto account by the study.
The Confirmed But Obscure Results
Drinking three alcoholic drinks a week slightly increases a woman’s risk todevelop breast cancer when compared to not drinking at all.
A key factor to take into account is that the research results reflectconsistent light drinking, not episodic binge drinking. Dr. Wendy Y. Chen, leadauthor of the paper and an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham andWomen’s Hospital and Harvard medical School in Boston, states that, “When youlook at this, you see a dose-response effect.” Drinking more than usual duringa week-long vacation did not increase the risk for women who rarely drankalcohol.
Alcohol consumption is considered a risk factor, according to this study.The study does not prove that drinking alcohol causes cancer; it merelysuggests an association between the two.
The results show that women who consistently imbibe three to six drinks perweek, throughout the duration of the study, had a 15% higher lifetime risk of abreast cancer diagnosis than a non-drinker. This fact translates into addingfour additional cases of breast cancer per 1000 women. In comparison, itmatches the same 15% risk of developing breast cancer that is associated withreplacement hormone therapy used to treat menopause.
To Drink or Not to Drink
Should you have that social drink or not? The research results do notindicate that completely avoiding alcohol will prevent breast cancer. The studydemonstrates the link between alcohol and breast cancer, but it does not provethat drinking causes the disease. After weighing the pros and cons, you makethe personal decision about whether or not to have that drink.