Is alcohol use a risk factor?
The relationship between alcohol and risk is uncertain, particularly in determining the amount of alcohol that increases risk. Some studies find no increased risk while others find that even social drinking, such as 2 drinks a day increases risk of breast cancer. An examination of 38 studies published in one year concluded that 1 drink a day raised the risk of breast cancer by 10% compared to nondrinkers. However, a recent study at Boston University found that breast cancer risk rose mostly among women who drank 2 or more drinks a day. It also found that breast cancer risk declined slightly in women who drank 0-1.5 drinks per day. Current dietary guidelines suggest limiting alcohol consumption to 1 drink/day. One hypothesis is that alcohol might increase circulating estrogen levels. How does binge drinking affect a person’s risk as compared to moderate or heavy drinking? For example, a person drinks 5 or 6 glass of wine occasionally (every other Saturday) as opposed to 1-2 glasses a da
