Drinking just HALF a bottle of wine a week may increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women

Daily Mail

May 4, 2017

Drinking just half a bottle of wine a week may increase the risk of breast cancer returning for survivors of the disease, a new study has found.

The equivalent of 60 ml of wine a day significantly increases the risk of breast cancer recurrence, research from Cancer Council Victoria has suggested.

Lead researcher Dr Anna Boltong, from the University of Melbourne, said the findings could change the guidelines on alcohol consumption to include those diagnosed with cancer.

No more than two standard drinks per day for healthy men and women is recommended to reduce the risk of alcohol associated harms.

‘The current public health advice for reducing alcohol risk is an upper limit of two standard drinks per day for healthy men and women but there is no reference to people who have previously been diagnosed with cancer,’ Dr Boltong said.

‘These results show that as little as six grams of alcohol per day – that’s just three tablespoons of wine – is associated with a modest increase in risk for women who have had breast cancer, particularly those who are post-menopausal.’

Lowering alcohol consumption and maintaining a healthy weight is known to reduce the risk of breast cancer – a disease that affects one in eight women in Australia.

However, the latest findings have the potential to change the way advice is given to cancer-stricken patients.

‘People who have survived cancer should be armed with all the facts and be supported to reduce their alcohol intake and improve their health,’ Dr Boltong said.

Dr Boltong will present the findings of the study at the Behavioural Research in Cancer Control Conference in Melbourne.