- Question from Marc: I have read that alcoholic beverages are worse for estrogen-receptor-positive patients than estrogen-receptor-negative patients. Is this true? How much alcohol can triple-negative breast cancer patients safely consume?
- Answers —Beth DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S.: Alcohol has been listed as a carcinogen and can have significantly negative effects on women who consume too much alcohol. Alcohol has its greatest effects in inhibiting the liver's ability to clear certain substances from the body. The studies have shown that postmenopausal women, who by virtue of being postmenopausal have a higher incidence of estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancers, are at greatest risk for consuming excess amounts of alcohol. Women who consume 1/2 glass of wine per day in the postmenopausal period increase their risk of developing a breast cancer by 6%. Women who consume 2-3 glasses of alcohol per day increase their risk of developing breast cancer by close to 40%. There is definitely a direct relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed and the increased risk of breast cancer. In the estrogen-receptor-negative patients, there has not been such a direct correlation but looking at the overall detrimental effects of excess alcohol consumption, this is one lifestyle modification that can benefit women in multiple ways. I have been asked by women why their cardiologist recommends they drink a glass of red wine per day, when I recommend moderation in alcohol consumption. The effects on cholesterol in the body that may be beneficial from the red wine need to be weighed carefully by each individual woman, as cardiac disease is very prominent and also a major risk factor for premature death in women. Therefore, this is a subject that should be specifically discussed with an individual patient and their physician team in order to make an educated choice as to what amount of alcohol is deemed to be safe for that woman. Alcohol in excess should be considered an increased risk factor in the development of breast cancer in the average postmenopausal woman.
- George Sledge, M.D.: The data suggesting that alcohol intake increases the risk of breast cancer I think is compelling, and I would agree with everything that Dr. Dupree has said. It is important to distinguish the increased risk of developing breast cancer with the risk of having a recurrence of breast cancer for someone already diagnosed. At present, we have no data suggesting that alcohol intake after a diagnosis of breast cancer increases the risk of recurrence of breast cancer. Some of the epidemiology studies that have demonstrated an increased risk based upon alcohol intake have also suggested that this risk may be decreased by intake of folic acid. As Dr. Leslie Bernstein, one of the epidemiologists at University of Southern California who first demonstrated this link once told me, perhaps what a woman should do is to wash down a multivitamin with her Chablis. Make that Merlot - we want a good red. :-)
On Wednesday, July 16, 2008 our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. George Sledge, M.D. and Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S. answered your questions about triple-negative breast cancer and its treatment.
The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.
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George Sledge, M.D. is the Ballvé-Lantero Professor of Oncology at Indiana University at Indianapolis, where he co-directs Indiana University Simon Cancer Center's Breast Cancer Program.
Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a general surgeon. Her clinical practice is located at Holy Redeemer Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center.
