Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risk

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

The health risks and benefits of alcohol continue to get more complicated. We all know – and science agrees - that excessive consumption is health damaging. Yet plenty of scientific data support the health benefits of a modest amount of alcohol (beer, wine, or spirits) daily on heart health: for women, one drink and men, two drinks.

Now a new study based on the Harvard Women’s Health Study, suggests that women who routinely consume even small amounts of alcohol, regularly – as few as 3 drinks each week – elevate their risk of breast cancer. How should you interpret this information?

It’s important to understand that the risk rose by 15% in a group of roughly 100,000 women, with risk rising with increasing alcohol intake. This sounds scary, until you look at the risk of the average woman. A typical woman, at age 50, has a breast cancer risk of about 3% over 5 years, so the added risk from this small amount of alcohol would only raise this risk to 3.45%. But you need to know your overall risk factors, including family history and other lifestyle habits, to see how “typical” you are.

Population data like these are not always reflective of the individual. The risks and benefits of modest alcohol consumption remain an ongoing debate in the scientific and medical community.

The bottom line? If you don’t already consume alcohol, don’t add it to your diet as a health promoter. If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, talk with your doctor or another health professional about your personal health issues, to better determine your own health profile relative to the pros and cons of alcohol intake.