A new study shows that drinking, even in moderation, can increase a person's risk for a host of cancers, including cancers of the liver, pancreas, throat, etc. For some cancers, such as lung, larynx and colorectal, the cancer risk only sets in when people drink heavily—three or four drinks a day on a regular basis.
A new study shows that drinking, even in moderation, can increase a person's risk for a host of cancers, including cancers of the liver, pancreas, throat, etc. For some cancers, such as lung, larynx and colorectal, the cancer risk only sets in when people drink heavily—three or four drinks a day on a regular basis. But just one drink a day raises the risk for cancers of the mouth and esophagus, several studies show, and the risk of breast cancer starts to rise with as few as three drinks a week, according to the U.K.'s Million Women Study, one of more than 100 studies linking alcohol consumption and breast cancer. This article gives both sides of the story, describing the risks as well as the benefits (like reducing the risk of heart disease) of moderate drinking. As Dr. Graham Colditz, associate director for prevention at the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says, "If you drink, drink no more than one drink a day for women and one to two for men to maximize the potential benefit for heart disease, and avoid too much increase in cancer risk."
The Wall Street Journal, 11/1/2011
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