Study Confirms Alcohol Link to Breast Cancer

30. April 2008 by DSJC.

When my kids were six and eight, I told them (in response to their questions on why I got breast cancer) that my breast cancer may have been kicked off by my drinking wine when I was younger, which is what my medical oncologist told me in response to the why question.  I was 34 at diagnosis.  I also told them it may not have been the cause, but that I quit drinking alcohol, just in case it was the reason.

Because of what I told them, both my kids react strongly when they see people drinking alcohol.  They are both vocal in telling people not to drink.  I’ve tried to tell them that it has to be okay for other, legal-aged adults to make their own choices, but they feel it’s their duty to inform people of the link between alcohol and breast cancer.  I can’t argue with their logic.

So, imagine my dismay, time and again, when our friends pooh-pooh my children (now 10 and 12) and tell them they are WRONG and that drinking alcohol is okay.  Why would adults say this to children?  My only thought is that they need to justify their own needs or desires to enjoy their vice.  However, my kids aren’t wrong.

On April 14, Reuters posted a story about the results of a study conducted by the National Cancer Institute.  According to the story, the large

The report went on to say that “the analysis of data from more than 184,000 women is the biggest of three major studies to conclude that drinking raises the risk of breast cancer for older women.”  These comments are attributed to Jasmine Lew, a researcher at the National Cancer Institute and the study’s lead investigator.

The research found that women who had one to two small drinks a day were 32 percent more likely to develop a hormone-sensitive tumor, the kind of breast cancer that I had. Three or more drinks a day raised the risk by 51 percent, and regardless of the type of alcohol, the risk was evident. 

The Reuters story also said that about 70 percent of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have tumors that are positive for both the estrogen and progesterone receptors. 

So, if you should run into a child who is telling you not to drink alcohol for fear of getting breast cancer, please don’t tell her that she is wrong.  According to the National Cancer Institute, she is right.

As for me, I’m planning to print the article and present it to my adult friends.  DSJC.

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