Alcohol Concern have released a new factsheet highlighting the link between alcohol use and breast cancer in women. It says just two drinks a day can increase the risk of developing breast cancer by 18%.
The factsheet highlights:
- In 2011, 3,000 of the breast cancer cases were directly attributable to alcohol consumption
- Each drink per day increases the risk in women of developing breast cancer by between 7% – 12%
- Alcohol has long been known to have carcinogenic (cancer causing) properties, and more than 50 studies have confirmed alcohol is a particular risk factor in the development of breast cancer
- The exact causal mechanism between alcohol and breast cancer is not fully known – but it is likely due to the way alcohol breaks down into toxic chemicals in our body and increases the production of the female hormone oestrogen.
Getting the message out?
Alcohol Concern say fewer than half of the British public know of any link between alcohol and cancer, and less than a third of a link between alcohol and breast cancer.
Alcohol Concern though are not the only group aiming to increase awareness of the risks - Cancer Research UK run their own 'Dry January style 'Dryathlon', and have appointed Prof Linda Bauld as their Cancer Prevention Champion. The work includes research to better understand consumer's knowledge and attitudes to drinking and how these might be influenced.
Last year MacMillan cancer support also launched a 'Go Sober for October' whilst this year's Dry January seemed to be gathering momentum, also receiving a boost from research indicating sustained reductions in many participant's drinking.
In 2013 Balance, the North East alcohol office, launched a hard-hitting health campaign warning that alcohol is in the same cancer causing category as tobacco smoke and asbestos - see the video here or visit www.reducemyrisk.tv. Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) also released a report Alcohol and Cancer Risks: a Guide for Health Professionals [pdf].
Cancer Research UK have previously highlighted up to 40% of cancers could be prevented through healthier lifestyle choices - reducing cancer risk therefore seems to make sense as an alcohol health message.
However knowing to what extent such messages really impact behaviour change is challenging. Much is made of the limitations of 'education' based approaches, and single risk factors can be hard to isolate from multiple lifestyle behaviours and environmental influences. Nonetheless, public health bodies will be hoping that a growing understanding of broader alcohol risk factors will help sustain recent downward trends in alcohol consumption.
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