Alcohol may increase cancer risk in women
A little bit of alcohol is good for your heart, but the latest research shows it also increases the risk of breast cancer.
"It's about the same as if they were taking hormone therapy," says Dr. Anne McTiernan with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
McTiernan says it doesn't matter if you're drinking beer, wine or hard liquor.
"Alcohol increases estrogen and alcohol may cause a little bit of DNA damage and it may reduce the body's ability to absorb vitamins."
Clearly, alcohol is not the biggest risk factor for breast cancer, but...
"Women who drink 3 to 6 drinks of alcohol a week increase their risk by about 20 percent and women who drink more than 15 drinks increase their risk by about 30 percent."
Her advice: women should limit themselves to one alcoholic beverage a day. If you're concerned about breast cancer, you may want to stop drinking alcohol altogether.
This new research shouldn't be a cause for alarm -- simply information to help women talk to their doctors and make a more informed choice.
For More Information:
Women's cancer risk may increase with just a few drinks
Alcohol Use Increases the Risk of Hormonally Sensitive Breast Cancers in Postmenopausal Women
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The Hutch is looking for volunteers for a new breast cancer study. This is a five-year study looking at whether taking a medication (exemestane) could reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in postmenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer. This is an outpatient study. Volunteers will be required to come to a clinic visit at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at 7 different time points over a 5 year period. This visit will last approximately 30 minutes.
http://www.fhcrc.org/donating/other/study/index.php?mbstring=go-away&search_type=text&atn=search&searchTerms=excel
"It's about the same as if they were taking hormone therapy," says Dr. Anne McTiernan with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
McTiernan says it doesn't matter if you're drinking beer, wine or hard liquor.
"Alcohol increases estrogen and alcohol may cause a little bit of DNA damage and it may reduce the body's ability to absorb vitamins."
Clearly, alcohol is not the biggest risk factor for breast cancer, but...
"Women who drink 3 to 6 drinks of alcohol a week increase their risk by about 20 percent and women who drink more than 15 drinks increase their risk by about 30 percent."
Her advice: women should limit themselves to one alcoholic beverage a day. If you're concerned about breast cancer, you may want to stop drinking alcohol altogether.
This new research shouldn't be a cause for alarm -- simply information to help women talk to their doctors and make a more informed choice.
For More Information:
Women's cancer risk may increase with just a few drinks
Alcohol Use Increases the Risk of Hormonally Sensitive Breast Cancers in Postmenopausal Women
---
The Hutch is looking for volunteers for a new breast cancer study. This is a five-year study looking at whether taking a medication (exemestane) could reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in postmenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer. This is an outpatient study. Volunteers will be required to come to a clinic visit at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at 7 different time points over a 5 year period. This visit will last approximately 30 minutes.
http://www.fhcrc.org/donating/other/study/index.php?mbstring=go-away&search_type=text&atn=search&searchTerms=excel
