Women who’ve had breast cancer should limit consumption
Women who’ve had breast cancer should consume no more than three alcoholic drinks a week to keep the disease from returning, according to a US study. In the report, 1,900 women who’d recovered from breast cancer found that moderate drinking was linked to a 30 per cent higher risk of recurrence, the BBC reports. The eight-year study found this was most pronounced in women who were post-menopausal or overweight. Few studies have been done on the risks of alcohol and cancer recurrence, researchers report. In the study, the team from the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California looked at women diagnosed with breast cancer from 1997 to 2000, comparing recurrence of the disease in those who drank alcohol with those who didn’t. The risk went up for those who drank at least three to four drinks a week, regardless of the type of alcohol, although alcohol consumption wasn’t associated with overall mortality. “Women previously diagnosed with breast cancer should consider limiting their consumption of alcohol to less than three drinks per week, especially women who are post-menopausal and overweight or obese,” said study leader Dr Marilyn Kwan.