DRINKING just two large glasses of wine a day can increase the risk of breast cancer by a third it was been warned.The stark figures are made even mores shocking by a new NHS survey which revealed 84per cent of women in the East of England did not realise there is a link between alcohol consumption and the disease.
Rebecca Lefort
DRINKING just two large glasses of wine a day can increase the risk of breast cancer by a third it was been warned.
The stark figures are made even mores shocking by a new NHS survey which revealed 84per cent of women in the East of England did not realise there is a link between alcohol consumption and the disease.
But according to the Know Your Limits campaign drinking two large glasses of wine a day, compared to drinking nothing, increases a woman's risk of the cancer by a third, and drinking three large glasses a day increases the risk by 50pc.
Dr Peter Bradley, director of public health at NHS Suffolk, said: “Drinking above safe levels of any type of alcoholic drink has many health consequences, including an increased chance of developing breast cancer.
"Although many factors might affect our risk of getting breast cancer, limiting how much we drink is one thing we can do to try to reduce that risk.
“It's never too late to change your drinking habits, and small changes can make a big difference.
“Women should stick to drinking two to three units a day at most, which is the equivalent of one large glass of wine.
“Regularly drinking more than the recommended levels can significantly increase your chance of getting breast cancer - and the more you drink, the bigger the risk.”
Drinking alcohol is one of the few identified risk factors for developing breast cancer.
Others are thought to include hormonal, genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors.
For most women the biggest risk factor for developing breast cancer is increasing age.
Has alcohol affected your life? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.
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