How Does Alcohol Affect Breast Cancer Risk?

At the end of a long busy workday, you may want to sit at home, kick your feet up, relax, and pour a couple of glasses of your favorite wine. But is it possible that drinking alcoholic beverages increases your risk of breast cancer?

While one glass of wine a day may not make you an alcoholic, researchers have frequently linked alcohol consumption with female breast cancer.

Heavy drinking has long been known as a risk factor for breast cancer, and even moderate consumption is associated with an elevated risk. But why does alcohol increase the risk of breast cancer, and do certain alcoholic substances have a higher risk than others?

Why Does Alcohol Use Raise the Risk of Breast Cancer?

Alcohol has long been recognized to have carcinogenic (cancer-causing) qualities. According to a 2015 study, in the United States, at least four percent of breast cancer cases result from alcohol consumption.

The exact process by which alcohol causes breast cancer is unknown. However, researchers suggest that the risk is most likely related to:

·      How your body breaks down the alcohol into toxic chemicals.

·      How alcohol increases the production of estrogen hormone in your body.

Moderate alcohol consumption can increase the level of estrogen in your blood. As a result, some of your breast cells sensitive to estrogen can develop cancer if exposed to very high estrogen levels.

Additionally, alcohol breaks down into a carcinogenic compound called acetaldehyde within your body. This compound permanently destroys your DNA and causes genetic mutation, triggering various responses resulting in malignant cells' growth.

Does the type of alcohol matter?

All alcoholic beverages are associated with a relative risk of breast cancer. As a result, if you consume alcoholic beverages, whether liquor, wine, or beer, they can increase your risk of breast cancer and certain other types of cancer.

Nonetheless, studies have discovered that the effect of alcohol on the development of breast cancer may differ according to the kind of alcohol consumed. Red wine, for example, is believed to protect against the development of cancer and cardiovascular disease because of the organic compounds found in grape skin.

Are There Any Safe Levels Of Alcohol To Drink?

Consumption of high amounts of alcohol or everyday drinking raises the risk. A study showed that in women who consume one alcoholic beverage a day, there was a five percent increase in breast cancer risk compared to women who do not drink alcohol.

Breast cancer also increases if you consume more than one alcoholic beverage per day or one unit, roughly comparable to one small (125ml) glass of wine. The more alcohol you drink throughout your lifetime, the greater your chance of developing breast cancer rises.

Additional Risk Factors For Breast Cancer

There are other risk factors for breast cancer, some of which you cannot control, for instance:

·      Aging

·      A family history of breast cancer (such as genetic risk).

Other risk factors for breast cancer include being overweight and smoking, especially after menopause.

Schedule Your Next Appointment with Dr. Gore today!

If you have concerns and questions regarding breast cancer, schedule your appointment with Dr. Gore by contacting North Atlanta Breast Care.

Disclaimer: This article is not a substitution for seeking medical attention.