Women know too little about alcohol’s role in breast cancer risk

A study has suggested that there is not enough awareness amongst women of the breast cancer link to alcohol, and only 20 per cent of women attending a breast cancer clinic know that it is a risk factor.

It is believed that alcohol consumption is responsible for an estimated 5 – 11 per cent of cases.

Two hundred women, who were either being screened for breast cancer or having symptoms checked, took part in the study Questionnaires on lifestyle-related risk factors were completed, which revealed that 50 per cent knew that smoking was a risk factor, but only 23 per cent in the symptoms group and 16 per cent in the screening group knew that alcohol was a risk factor.

Study leader Professor Julia Sinclair, said it was an opportunity to provide the women with information that could help to reduce their chances of developing the disease.

She went on to say “Ninety-four per cent of the don’t have breast cancer If you have a family history, you would be referred for monitoring.

“But if you’re overweight or drinking more than you should be, people don’t say “there’s something you could do about that.

“Alcohol increases the risk by three per 100 so it’s a low absolute risk, but it’s something that’s modifiable.

“This is about empowering women to have the knowledge, so they can make decisions.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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