Moderate drinking linked to higher breast cancer risk

It is well known that high levels of alcohol consumption are linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and a need for a prescription to buy Tamoxifen. Now, new research shows that even lower levels of consumption can also increase risk.

A team of researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital tracked the health records of nearly 106,000 women throughout their adult lives. The results showed that individuals who consumed between three and six drinks per week were 15 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. Furthermore, those who drank two alcoholic beverages per day had a 51 percent increased risk.

"In many studies, higher consumption of alcohol has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. However, the effect of low levels of drinking as is common in the United States has not been well quantified," the team wrote in their report.

The study did not make it clear exactly what it is about alcohol that increases breast cancer risk, but the researchers said it may cause higher levels of circulating estrogen, a well-recognized risk factor for breast cancer.