Alcohol and Breast Cancer
Thursday, December 13, 2007

A recent study has found that women drinking more than three drinks a day may be at greater risk of breast cancer. Dr. Ken Davis talks about the study in today’s 60 Second Housecall.

More than three daily alcohol drinks increases your risk of breast cancer by 30 percent. This is the same increase in risk you get from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

Researchers studied over 70,000 women who supplied information on their drinking habits during doctor visits from 1978 through 1985. The researchers then looked at whether the women developed breast cancer over the next twenty years.

2,800 of these women did get breast cancer. Women who drank one or two drinks a day had a 10 percent higher chance of breast cancer than women who drank less than one drink per day. But women who had more than three drinks a day increased that risk to 30 percent.

In a previous study, researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered that frequent drinking raises a woman's risk of breast cancer.  Modest alcohol consumption may have some health benefits.  Women should understand the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption.

For North Mississippi Medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.