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Alcohol and
Cancer Risk: When Does the Risk Start?
A major new study is calling
into question what many women thought they knew about drinking
alcohol. The UK’s Million Women Study links even low-to-moderate
alcohol consumption to increased risk of breast and several other
cancers. Most women who drink alcohol in the United Kingdom,
as in the United States, drink amounts classified as low-to-moderate,
which is within current recommended limits. The study concludes
that alcohol accounts for approximately 11 percent of breast
cancer in the United Kingdom. This is strikingly similar to the
conclusions of a Policy Report released this year by the American
Institute for Cancer Research linking 11 percent of breast cancer
in the U.S. to alcohol.
The Million Women Study followed
1.3 million middle-aged women for seven years. The large number
of women in the study gives its conclusions strength and allowed
researchers to compare cancer risk among a range of alcohol intake
levels, from occasional to frequent consumption. |
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Compared to women who drink no
more than 2 standard drinks per week, 7 to 14 drinks per week
increased breast cancer risk by 13 percent. Above seven to 14
drinks per week is beyond the one drink per day definition of
moderate drinking for women. But even 3 to 6 drinks per week
– classified as low to moderate – increased risk 8
percent. This rise in breast cancer risk may seem small, but
because it is the most common cancer among American women, except
for skin cancers, even a small percentage change can affect many
women.
In the U.S., one standard drink (5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces
of beer, or one-and-a-half ounces of 80-proof spirits) contains
12 to 15 grams of alcohol. This new study found that each additional
ten grams of alcohol daily increased women’s risk of cancers
of the mouth and throat by 29 to 44 percent. Risk of liver cancer
increased 24 percent, esophageal cancer 22 percent and that of
breast cancer 12 percent.
The large study size also allowed
researchers to look separately at smokers and nonsmokers. Previous
research showing an interaction between tobacco and alcohol was
clearly demonstrated. The dramatic increase in cancers of the
mouth and throat linked to alcohol consumption was strongly tied
to smoking, perhaps because alcohol seems to increase the ability
of tobacco’s carcinogens to enter and damage cells. Among
nonsmokers, alcohol showed little effect on mouth and throat
cancers.
Red wine drinkers may have hoped
that laboratory studies of an antioxidant compound called resveratrol
found in red wine might make it protective. However, this study
shows wine is no different than other kinds of alcohol in increasing
cancer risk.
The powerful conclusions from
this Million Women Study may prompt some women to give up alcohol
completely. However, the study also found that women consuming
up to two drinks per week showed no significant difference in
cancer risk compared to those who identified themselves as nondrinkers.
For each woman, impact on risk
varies with personal and family history, diet and overall lifestyle.
Some evidence suggests that up to one alcoholic drink per day
may be heart-healthy for women. Yet other steps to promote heart
health – weight control, daily physical activity and a mostly
plant-based diet low in saturated fat – also reduce the
risk of cancer. According to AICR’s report, while avoiding
alcohol could prevent about 11 percent of breast cancer in U.S.
women, regular physical activity and weight control could each
prevent 17 percent of cases. In fact, reaching and maintaining
a healthy weight could prevent about 20 percent of seven types
of weight-related cancers, including breast, pancreatic, and
colorectum. |
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