Women Who Binge Drink More Than Double Breast Cancer Risk
The results of the study showed that women consumed around two bottles of wine at the weekend more than doubled their risk of developing breast cancer.
Researchers in Denmark carried about the new study. It has just been published in the European Journal of Public Health.
The effects of alcohol were observed in 17,647 nurses. The findings revealed that the women who consumed around 22 to 27 alcoholic beverages a week had more than double the breast cancer risk of women who only consumed 1 to 3 drinks each week. The cancer risk reached its highest point when alcoholic drinks were consumed over a short time period.
Dr. Lina Morch, from Denmark's Centre for Alcohol, headed the study. The observations of the participating women were carried out over an eight-year period that ended in 2001. All of the participating women were at least aged 45. In order to gather the necessary information for the study each woman was required to complete questions about their alcohol consumption and behaviours. By the end of the study it was found that of the participating women 457 developed breast cancer.
The cancer diagnoses were compared with the alcohol consumption and behaviour provided by the women in order to find out the relation between drinking alcohol and cancer.
The consumption and behaviour information showed that 10 percent of the participating women could be classed as weekly binge drinkers. This means that these women drank on average four drinks each day. The figure for weekend binger drinkers, those who consumed a minimum of 10 drinks over the weekend, was 13 percent of the women.
One drink is considered to be a glass or wine or spirits or one bottle of beer.
In their report the researchers said, "For alcohol consumption above the intake most frequently reported, the risk of breast cancer is increased. The risk is minor for moderate levels but increases for each additional drink consumed during the week. Weekend consumption and binge drinking imply an additional increase in breast cancer."
The precise link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer has not been confirmed, but the researchers did provide some potential theories, worthy of further investigation. When women drink alcohol their levels of oestrogen increase. Oestrogen plays in major role in breast cancer development.
The researchers have suggested that women greatly reduce the amount of alcohol they consume.
Sources
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=68671
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6582841.stm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=450048&in_page_id=1770
Published by Siun Griffin
I have been a freelance writer for several years. I enjoy writing about a variety of topics, particularly the environment, animals, entertainment, and travel. However, I don't limit myself to those topics, a... View profile
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