Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risk

There are many studies that show drinking beer, wine, and liquor increases the risk of developing cancer. But most people don’t know that alcohol is in the top three preventable risk factors for cancer in the U.S. — just after cigarettes and obesity.

In early 2025, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory about the links between alcohol and cancer. In the report, Murthy outlined a few actions that the government could take — like updating the health warning labels on alcoholic beverages — to help Americans better understand the connections between alcohol and cancer. 

Alcohol contributes to about 100,000 cancer diagnoses and 20,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. Research suggests that drinking alcohol may be particularly likely to increase breast cancer risk.

The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer.

Despite many studies looking into the links between alcohol and cancer, scientists still aren’t entirely sure how alcohol is causing cancer. Here are four theories that are backed by scientific research: 

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  Alcohol damages DNA, which can cause affected cells to multiply and develop into a tumor. 

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  Alcohol increases inflammation, which can also damage DNA, as well as proteins and cells.

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  Alcohol disrupts hormone levels, especially estrogen. 

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  Alcohol can make it easier for your body to absorb cancer-causing substances (for example, cigarette smoke) in the environment.      

Alcohol can increase levels of estrogen as well as other hormones associated with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. 

An analysis of 20 studies found that drinking alcohol increased the risk of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer by 35% and the risk of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer by 28%. 

The effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on breast cancer risk is complex and depends on many factors. If you’re taking HRT, however, it’s important to know that research shows drinking alcohol can further increase your breast cancer risk. 

One study followed 5,000 Danish women for 20 years and found that:

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  post-menopausal women who were taking HRT and drank one or two alcoholic drinks per day had a breast cancer risk that was three times higher than women who didn't drink and didn't take HRT. 

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  post-menopausal women taking HRT who had more than two alcoholic drinks per day had a breast cancer risk that was five times higher than women who didn't drink and didn't take HRT.

It’s clear that cancer risks go up as alcohol consumption goes up — and it’s also clear that drinking less (or not at all) has benefits.

There are multiple genetic mutations linked to breast cancer. If you have one of these mutations and you drink alcohol, does your risk go up even more? A study of nearly 6,000 white and Black women suggests drinking alcohol doesn’t worsen the risk of breast cancer from a genetic mutation. Still, the researchers said that women should consider limiting how much alcohol they drink as a general risk-reduction strategy.

Researchers are still trying to understand how consuming alcohol after a breast cancer diagnosis affects the risk of breast cancer coming back (recurring). A few studies have looked at a possible link but the results were mixed, with one study finding women who drank less than three alcoholic drinks per week were not at a greater risk of recurrence and another finding women who drank a similar amount were at a greater risk of recurrence. 

The research is still emerging, and an amount to drink that’s “safe” is still being studied. But it’s clear that cancer risks go up as alcohol consumption goes up — and it’s also clear that drinking less (or not at all) has benefits. Whether or not you have a history of breast cancer, it’s important to talk to your doctor about your risk of developing breast cancer and how — or if — alcohol fits into that. 

If you want to do everything you can to lower your breast cancer risk, limiting how much alcohol you drink makes sense. You may choose to stop drinking alcohol completely. But if you plan to continue drinking, try to have as few alcoholic drinks per week as possible.

Many experts echo the advice of Hillary Sachs, MS, RD, CSO, CDN, a registered dietician specializing in oncology nutrition, who talked about alcohol and breast cancer risk on The Breastcancer.org Podcast. She acknowledged the challenges of abstaining or cutting down on alcohol and of finding the right balance for you. “I always encourage people to just try to drink the most minimal amount possible.”