Synopsis-
“In a recent study, it has been found that if you have breast cancer, you do not need to swear off alcohol completely.”
Over the years, studies said even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of breast cancer in women. Alcohol has the capacity to raise the levels of estrogen in the body, which may explain some of the increased risks.
But in a recent study, it has been found that if you have breast cancer, you do not need to swear off alcohol completely. In this study, researchers report that occasional drinking may not be causative to a recurrence of breast cancer.
How has this study been done?
In this study, the researchers gathered information from over 3,600 women who had survived breast cancer. These women filled out a survey about their alcohol consumption. The researchers followed up with the women for 11 years and found that 524 had a recurrence of their cancer, while 834 had passed away. Occasional Drinking Among the 834 women who died, 314 from cardiovascular disease, 369 were due to breast cancer, and 151 from other health reasons.
Marilyn Kwan, a senior research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, said, “The findings suggest drinking alcohol is not associated with an increased risk of having a breast cancer recurrence or dying from the disease. There was no association between alcohol use at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis, or six months later, and the risk of recurrence or death”.
Researchers have Found Something Exciting for Women who Drink-
The researchers also discovered that moderate alcohol consumption (about one-fourth to one-half drink or more per day) was associated with a lower overall risk of death in obese patients.
Kwan also said, “It’s not clear how to interpret this finding, although the women with obesity possibly had a healthier lifestyle as they exercised more. We are the first group to make this finding in obese women, and we strongly believe more research is needed to see if the same association is seen in other studies,”.
