The use of alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. The risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. Compared with non-drinkers, women who consume 1 alcoholic drink a day have a very small increase in risk. Those who have 2 to 5 drinks daily have about 1½ times the risk of women who drink no alcohol. Excessive alcohol use is also known to increase the risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and liver. The American Cancer Society recommends that women limit their consumption of alcohol to no more than one drink a day.
Most of the excess cases were breast cancers. Allen and colleagues concluded that as many as 11% of breast cancers can be attributed to alcohol consumption.
Last year, about 250,000 women were diagnosed with invasive and non-invasive breast cancers in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. The latest research suggests that 27,000 of these cancers were alcohol related.
The study also shows that:
• Women who drank only wine had the same risk for developing cancer as those who drank beer, spirits, or a combination of alcoholic beverages.
• Less than 2% of the women in the study regularly consumed more than three drinks a day, but each additional drink increased risk.
• Women who smoked and drank alcohol had an increased risk of oral, throat, and esophageal cancer that was greater than the risk associated with smoking alone.
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
No comments:
Post a Comment