Breast Cancer Awareness Month: women need to be aware of alcohol as an overlooked risk
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Balance is highlighting alcohol as one of the most preventable risk factors. Despite clear evidence, national awareness among women remains low.
Studies show that around 8% of breast cancer cases in the UK are caused by alcohol consumption (1). Even just one alcoholic drink a day increases the risk (2).
For women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer, the advice is even more urgent. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that women recovering from breast cancer limit alcohol intake to no more than 5 units per week – about two standard glasses of wine – to help reduce the risk of recurrence.
Alcohol gets broken down by the body into a chemical that can damage our cells. Drinking alcohol can also change the levels of hormones in the body, including oestrogen which is known to help some breast cancers to grow.
Mum Sheridan Dixon, 63, from Jarrow, is adding her support to Breast Cancer Awareness Month after being diagnosed with breast cancer last August. She had surgery in September 2024 at the QE Hospital in Gateshead and finished further radiotherapy treatment in January this year.
Sheridan said: “It was a big shock to be diagnosed with breast cancer. You hear that cancer will affect 1 in 2 people in their lives but you don’t expect it to be you. It was a wake-up call.
“After my diagnosis, I started reading about the connections between alcohol and breast cancer, which made me realise I needed to do everything possible including cutting down on alcohol to stay fit and healthy to prevent the cancer from coming back.
“Before, I never really thought much about the cancer risk from alcohol but it’s been proven that cutting down on alcohol can reduce the risk of breast cancer and, for me, lower the chances of it coming back.
“I realised that reducing alcohol is just part of taking care of your health as you age. More women need to be aware of the risks.”
The UK Government has already pledged to implement alcohol health warning labels in the 10 Year Health Plan for England. Balance says these labels should include a warning about alcohol as a cause of seven types of cancer, including bowel, breast, mouth and throat cancer.
Susan Taylor, Head of Alcohol Policy for Balance, said: “We fully support giving people more health information about alcohol through health warning labels, and given that alcohol consumption has risen among women, a warning around the risks of alcohol and breast cancer is vital.
“Alcohol companies have dragged their heels around health warning labels about the increased risks of cancer, the risks during pregnancy and other health conditions – but this is about a right to know.”
Caroline Tweedie, Macmillan Lead Cancer Nurse says: “I think many people are still surprised to know that alcohol causes cancer and particularly breast cancer.
“There are some factors that increase your risk of getting breast cancer that you can’t do anything about, such as genetics and age, but there are some lifestyle risks that we can control and two of the main ones are alcohol and obesity.
“There are nearly 60,000 new cases of breast cancer in the UK every year and for every woman diagnosed, cutting down on alcohol is an important part of the treatment and further prevention. Limiting what you drink may also help prevent the cancer returning and help you to keep a healthy weight.
“I think if more women knew about breast cancer risk, we would support one another to drink that bit less and say it’s alright if you don’t want to have another drink, and question some of the “wine o clock” culture that we see everywhere.”
References
2: Breast Cancer Now charity – Alcohol and breast cancer risk https://breastcancernow.org/about-breast-cancer/awareness/breast-cancer-risk-factors-and-causes/alcohol-and-breast-cancer-risk