Alcohol Linked to Increased Cases of Breast Cancer in African-American Women

Women of African-American descent have to rethink having that second glass of alcoholic drink as a new study links the increased cases of breast cancer with alcohol intake. The study is specifically directed to African-American women.

The link between alcohol and breast cancer has been proven in the past, but what makes thisb study different is its focus on African-American women. 

Researchers from the University of North Carolina conducted the study called "Alcohol Intake and Breast Cancer Risk in African American Women from the AMBER Consortium." 

The study showed that similar to European women, African-American women drinking 7 or more alcoholic DPW was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer regardless of subtype. The paper was published by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

The research was conducted with the help of 22,338 respondents from the African-American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk Consortium (AMBER). All the participants completed questionnaires pertaining to their alcohol consumption that allowed the researchers to conclude that alcohol is linked to increased breast cancer cases in African-American women.

"Alcohol is an important modifiable exposure, whereas many other risk factors are not," Melissa A. Troester, a professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility at the University of North Carolina, said in a press release. "Women who are concerned about their risk of breast cancer could consider reducing levels of exposure."

Based on the study, African-American women who tend to drink seven or more each week shows increased risk for all four subtypes of breast cancers mentioned in the study. Also, those who drink 14 or more alcoholic drinks per week have a 33 percent chance of developing breast cancer compared to those with only less than four alcoholic drinks. However, the study also revealed that African-American women drink lesser alcoholic drinks compared to white women.

Not drinking alcohol does not spare women from the disease because there are other factors linked with breast cancer, according to Eurekalert. But the researchers are hopeful that the data that links alcohol to increase breast cancer cases in African-American women can help the group to address the issue of alcohol consumption.