How drinking alcohol before their first pregnancy can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer by 35 per cent
A Cancer Council Victoria study looked at alcohol and breast cancer risks
Drinking before the first pregnancy can increase the risk of breast cancer
Women who drink before then increase their risk by 35 per cent
Drinking beyond your first pregnancy shows no increased cancer risk
Source: Daily Mail
By Lauren Grounsell For Daily Mail Australia
20 October 2016
It’s long been known that a few too many wines could be doing your health more harm than good.
But now a new study by Cancer Council Victoria has looked in more detail at the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer in women.
The Herald Sun reported the study found women who drank before their first pregnancy could increase their risk of breast cancer by 35 per cent.
The study looked at 13,630 Victorian between the ages of 15 and their first pregnancy.
It was revealed women who drank in their adolescence and early adult years increased their breast cancer risk.
Drinking beyond your first pregnancy was not shown to increase the the risk above those who did not drink.
Cancer Council Victoria said drinking alcohol could lead to cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, bowel, liver and female breast.
The study, which was supervised by Professor Dallas English from the University of Melbourne, revealed the risk was increased for women who drank during adolescence.
‘Drinking alcohol in adolescence and before your first pregnancy may have a greater impact on breast cancer than consumption later in life,’ Prof English told the Herald Sun.
‘It changes the risk from roughly one in nine to one in seven.
‘Breast cancer is one of our major cancers, and not drinking alcohol during adolescence and the early 20s is one potential way of reducing that risk.’
Prof English said while further studies needed to be done, women should limit their alcohol intake before their first pregnancy.