Goodwin, who wrote a commentary to go with the study, agreed that it is plausible that women who drink alcohol may be more likely to get a less-dangerous form of breast cancer. This would make their survival rates higher than the average non-drinker who gets a more deadly form of the disease.
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The #DrinkLessForYourBreasts campaign is funded by the California Breast Cancer Research Program of the University of California.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), moderate alcohol consumption is defined as one drink or less per day for women and two drinks or less per day for men. Yet, even this amount is considered risky. “Even one drink a day or seven drinks a week increases your risk,” Martinez said “and the relationship between alcohol ...
Alcohol also makes it more difficult for the body to absorb folate and other nutrients. “Folate is important because it helps to fix and maintain your DNA,” Martinez said. “When your DNA isn’t properly maintained it’s more likely to be damaged and cells that have damaged DNA are more likely to be cancerous.”.
The #DrinkLessForYourBreasts initiative seeks to educate women about the risk and urges them to consider the impact drinking alcohol can have on their health .
Fortunately, when you decrease your drinking, you also decrease your risk.”. Additionally, the type of alcohol consumed does not make a difference to cancer risk. “Ethanol is ethanol. Your body doesn’t care,” Martinez said. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.
Yes, Drinking Alcohol Can Increase Your Risk of Breast Cancer. Many women in the United States remain unaware that their drinking habits could affect their chance of getting cancer. Guido Mieth/Getty Images. A strong body of scientific evidence shows alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer. Many women remain unaware of the role ...
Kruse notes another cause for concern is that alcohol tends to increase an individual’s caloric intake. “We know that there’s a link between weight gain, particularly extra tissue related to fat cells, and cancers,” she said.