Think Before You Drink: Moderate drinking linked to a higher risk of breast cancer

A recent study suggests that women who routinely have even small amounts of alcohol, as few as three drinks a week, have a higher risk of breast cancer. This news may come as a shock to those who routinely "drink to their health."

The study, which examined the habits of more than 100,000 women over 30 years, adds to a long line of research linking alcohol consumption to an increased risk of breast cancer. However, whereas the bulk of the research in the past largely focused on higher levels of alcohol intake, this latest study is among the first to assess the effect of relatively small amounts of alcohol over long periods of time.

Dr. Wendy Y. Chen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and the lead author of the study, says, “We’re not recommending that women stop drinking altogether. For an individual woman to make the best decision it would depend on what her own breast cancer risk factors are, as well as her cardiovascular risk factors."

The question for many women remains whether cutting back on alcohol to reduce breast cancer risk is worth losing out on the reduction in heart disease that is associated with moderate drinking. Dr. Susan Love, a clinical professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, says, “If you do drink, you have to weigh the risks and benefits. But obviously if you don’t drink and you’re worried about breast cancer, don’t start.”