The only malignant tumour for which the link with alcohol has already been studied in more detail is breast cancer. Moderate and heavy drinkers in particular seem to run an increased risk of breast cancer, while the effect of a low alcohol consumption on the risk of breast cancer is still unclear. With regard to the influence of wine, beer and spirits separately, this is still subject to speculation. The available research results suggest that there is little difference in the type of drink with regard to the risk of breast cancer.

Up until now more than 50 studies have been done on the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. Many of these studies are limited in extent, such that a link has not always been found. Some extensive studies generally reveal a linear relationship between alcohol and breast cancer: the more alcohol that is drunk, the greater the risk of breast cancer. Women who drink between 30 and 60 grammes of alcohol a day (2 to 5 glasses a day) have a 41% greater risk of breast cancer than women with a similar risk profile who do not drink (1). As a comparison: women whose mothers have had breast cancer are 50% more likely to develop the tumour.
More recent large scale research also examined the link between alcohol and breast cancer. In this study (2) the researchers did not find any link between light drinking (maximum of one glass a day) and the risk of breast cancer. Even in the group of women who drink a lot, the risk barely increases. The “heavy drinkers” in this study were not chronic drinkers, but rather they drank excessively every now and again. Getting drunk every now and again does not increase the risk of breast cancer to the same extent as filling up every day does.

The number of cases of breast cancer that can be attributed to regular alcohol consumption amounts to no more than 2%. In 98% of cases of breast cancer the cause lies elsewhere. Alcohol is thus a very low risk factor in breast cancer. Advising against alcohol on a wide scale would have little impact on the occurrence of breast cancer in the population. In addition, the benefits of light to moderate alcohol consumption on heart disease and mortality due to heart disease more than compensate for the risk of breast cancer.

Folic acid compensates for the alcohol risk

The low risk of breast cancer with regular alcohol consumption decreases when the woman has an adequate daily intake of folic acid (> 600 mg per day). Folic acid is a nutrient that is mainly found in green leaf vegetables or can be taken as a vitamin supplement. A folic acid rich diet compensates for the effect of moderate drinking on breast cancer. Women who regularly drink alcohol (2- 3 glasses a day) and also have an adequate folic acid intake do not have an increased risk of breast cancer compared with women who do not drink alcohol at all (Nurse’s Health Study). Oddly enough, a lack of folic acid does not have any impact on the risk of breast cancer, it is the combination with moderate alcohol consumption that influences this risk.
This can also be put more generally. The more the person derives his/her calories from alcohol consumption, the more he/she will leave out some components of his diet in order to maintain the same calorie intake. In many cases, the most vitamin-rich and mineral-rich components such as fruit and vegetables are left out. The relationship between liver cirrhosis and alcohol has far more to do with the lack of a healthy balanced diet and less to do with the large volumes of alcohol.

References
(1)Alcohol and Breast Cancer in Women. S.A. Smith-Warner et al.; JAMA 1998;279:535-540.
(2)New light on cancer of the breast. The qauterly review of alcohol research 1999;vol.7; n°2.

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