Alcohol consumption and risk of breast cancer: The Framingham Study revisited

Although many studies report that moderate-to-heavy alcohol intake increase s breast cancer risk, the effect of light alcohol consumption remains contr oversial, and a consistent pattern of association with different types of a lcoholic beverages is not evident. The authors examined the relation of ave rage alcohol consumption and of different beverages to the risk of breast c ancer in the Framingham Study (Framingham, Massachusetts). Of 2,764 women f ollowed more than 40 years in the Original Cohort from 1948 to 1993 and 2,2 84 followed up to 24 years in the Offspring Cohort from 1971 to 1993, 221 a nd 66 incident breast cancer cases occurred, respectively. Breast cancer in cidence decreased from 3.60 per 1,000 person-years to 2.47, 2.30, and 2.33 in increasing categories of average alcohol consumption (none, <5.0, 5.0-<1 5.0, and greater than or equal to 15.0 g/day) among the Original Cohort and from 3.07 to 1.26, 1.24, and 2.22, respectively, among the Offspring Cohor t. With the two cohorts combined, multivariate-adjusted rate ratios of brea st cancer in each increased category of alcohol consumption were 1.0 (nondr inkers), 0.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6-1.1), 0.7 (95% CI 0.5-1.1), and 0.7 (95% CI 0.5-1.1), respectively. Breast cancer was not associated wi th wine, beer, or spirits consumption when assessed separately. The finding s suggest that the light consumption of alcohol or any type of alcoholic be verage is not associated with increased breast cancer risk.