Alcohol and breast cancer

This page is about the research into alcohol and breast cancer. Research has shown that drinking alcohol slightly increases the risk of a woman developing breast cancer. Studies suggest that by the age of 80, the number of women who will develop breast cancer will be

• 8.8 out of 100 if they don't drink at all
• 10.1 out of 100 if they have 2 drinks a day
• 13.3 out of 100 if they have 6 drinks a day

In studies the increase in risk does not vary according to race, height, weight, family history of breast cancer, the age periods or menopause began, number of pregnancies, breast feeding, or use of the contraceptive pill or HRT.

An interesting aspect of this research is that it shows that the risk goes up directly according to how many drinks you have regularly per day. The increase in risk per drink is very small (about 7%) but it adds up. So if you do drink quite a bit and are worried about this, you may reduce your breast cancer risk by cutting down.

It is important to remember that the impact of drinking alcohol on a woman's risk of developing breast cancer is small compared to other factors. For example, giving birth to only 1 or 2 children and not breast feeding has a much bigger effect. And, alcohol in moderation can have some beneficial effects on the risk of heart attack or stroke.