Alcoholic beverages make it easy to loosen up and enjoy a night out with your friends. Whether it’s going out to eat and drink at a restaurant or drinking at a bar, somehow the night ends magically on the dance floor. Globally the average amount of alcohol a person consumes in a year has increased from 5.9 L to 6.5 L from 1990 to 2017. It is estimated that it will continue to increase to 7.6 L in 2030 (Lui 2021). Alcohol is a known carcinogen that can lead to the development of breast cancer, women are at very high risk (Lui 2021).
Worldwide rates of death for breast cancer have increased from 344.9 thousand to 600.7 thousand from 1990 to 2017 (Lui, 2021). In the US, the most common cancer for women to develop is breast cancer. Alcohol, smoking, high body mass index, and physical inactivity are factors that increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The consumption of alcohol accounts for 10% of female breast cancer deaths which is more than any other risk factors. There was a Women’s Health Study conducted on the consumption of alcohol and breast cancer. In this study when consuming two-thirds of an alcoholic drink it increases the risk of breast cancer by 9% (Zhang, 2006). The higher the consumption of an alcoholic drink the higher the risk of developing breast cancer. Drinking two beers per day increases the risk by 43% (Zhang, 2006). A higher intake of alcoholic beverages contributes to a higher rate of developing breast cancer. No matter the type of alcoholic beverage whether it’s wine, beer or spirits, all drinks seem to increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
Regions such as North America, Western Europe, and Australia have a higher alcohol consumption than any other regions in the world (Lui, 2021). Western Europe had alcohol breast cancer related deaths at 20% (Lui, 2021). There are cultural and religious factors that influence the consumption of alcohol. Alcohol takes part in celebrations, tradition and social events. Alcohol can be used in a casual event such as drinking with a meal or even binge drinking while watching television. Since alcohol consumption has been very normalized, there’s a lack of awareness of the risk when drinking alcohol. In 23 countries only 3.3% of university students knew drinking alcohol is a risk factor for the development of breast cancer (Freudenheim, 2020).
Alcohol is an environmental factor that increases the risk of developing breast cancer. There are different biological pathways that lead to the development of breast cancer, such as oxidative stress, cell proliferation and steroid hormones (Freudenheim, 2020). Alcohol is known to contain ethanol which is known to be a carcinogen. Alcohol dehydrogenase metabolizes ethanol. When a person consumes alcohol/ethanol is taken to the liver where it’s oxidized to acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde results in tumor development through interfering with DNA synthesis. It can cause alterations and mutations by binding to DNA strands. Therefore, resulting in the development of breast cancer. There has been research in which alcohol can increase levels of estrogens that lead to breast cancer development (Jung 2016). Women with positive estrogen receptor tumors have a higher chance than women with negative estrogen receptor tumors of developing breast cancer. Eighty percent of breast cancer are estrogen positive receptors (Cancer breast.UK, 2024).
Breast cancer mortality rates have been declining due to early diagnosis and improvement of treatments. In the US, the survival rate of breast cancer is 91% (NCI, 2023). Breast cancer treatments consist of hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy and surgery. There’s multidisciplinary treatment that consists of a combination of treatments for a higher chance of recovery. Health care professionals take into consideration the aftermath and other health issues that may arise with multidisciplinary treatment during or after treatment (NCI, 2024). It’s always important to maintain good communication with your providers to fully understand treatments and learn about risk factors.
Wine, beer and spirits contain alcohol, with each glass of alcohol consumed may expose you to an increased risk of breast cancer. Metabolism of alcohol to acetaldehyde in our body can lead to breast cancer and high levels of estrogen (Seitz, 2009). Being mindful of the amount of alcohol you consume or significantly reducing consumption of alcohol are likely to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
Written by Nancy Mendez and edited by Aldrin V. Gomes, PhD.
References
Liu, H., Shi, W., Jin, Z., Zhuo, R., Dong, J., Lao, Q., Li, S., & Pang, W. (2021). Global, regional, and national mortality trends of female breast cancer by risk factor, 1990-2017. BMC Cancer, 21(1), 459–459. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-021-08217-5
Seitz, H.K., Stickel, F. Acetaldehyde as an underestimated risk factor for cancer development: role of genetics in ethanol metabolism. Genes Nutr 5, 121–128 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12263-009-0154-1
Shumin M. Zhang, I-Min Lee, JoAnn E. Manson, Nancy R. Cook, Walter C. Willett, Julie E. Buring, Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer Risk in the Women's Health Study, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 165, Issue 6, 15 March 2007, Pages 667–676, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwk054
Breast cancer treatment. Breast Cancer Treatment - NCI. (n.d.). https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-treatment-pdq
Freudenheim JL. Alcohol's Effects on Breast Cancer in Women. Alcohol Res. 2020 Jun 18;40(2):11. doi: 10.35946/arcr.v40.2.11
Jung S, Wang M, Anderson K, et al. Alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk by estrogen receptor status: In a pooled analysis of 20 studies. Int J Epidemiol. 2016;45(3):916-928. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyv156.
Alcohol and breast cancer. Breast Cancer UK. (2024, December 2). https://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk/reduce-your-risk/alcohol-and-breast-cancer/
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