Even Modest Drinking Increases Breast Cancer Risk

Having just one drink per day increases breast cancer risk, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. Researchers monitored alcohol consumption for 88,084 women and 47,881 men as part of the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. For women, having just one alcoholic drink per day increased the risk for alcohol-related cancers (mainly breast cancer) by 13 percent, compared with those who consumed no alcohol. Among men, colorectal cancer was the principal alcohol-related cancer. Researchers suspect ethanol and other compounds found in alcohol may be potential mechanisms. Many previous studies have also found that moderate alcohol intake increases breast cancer risk.