Wine Color Won't Change Breast Cancer Risk

Despite red wine's healthy reputation, study finds it won't lower cancer odds

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

Related Encyclopedia • Adenocarcinoma of the Lung and Brain Metastases • Amenorrhea • Amniocentesis • Amniocentesis and CVS More... Related Healthscout Videos Incision-Free Bladder Surgery Tracking Breast Cancer with Less Pain No More Biopsies? Dealing with Dying More... Related Animations • Breast Reduction • Breast Self-Exam Video • Colon Cancer • Erectile Dysfunction More... Related Drug Information • Actonel • Detrol LA • Diflucan • Ditropan XL More... Related News Articles • Health Tip: Risk Factors for Postpartum Depression • Breast Cancer Stats Differ Racially Despite Similar Mammogram Rates • Research Sheds Light on Increasing Cerebral Palsy Rates Among Preemies • Gay Men's Evolutionary Role May Be to Help Protect Young Kin More...

MONDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Although moderate consumption of red wine may offer some benefit for your heart, it won't help decrease the risk of breast cancer in women, new research suggests.

"If you choose to drink at all, choose your drink based upon what tastes good to you, because wine is not associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer, regardless of the type," said study author Polly Newcomb, program head of cancer prevention at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Text Continues Below

---

The findings were published in the March issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

This study comes on the heels of research released last week that found even one drink a day could increase a woman's risk of developing cancer. That study, which was published in the online version of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, reported that for every additional drink consumed per day, there are about 15 extra cases of cancer diagnosed for every 1,000 women under age 75, and that most of those cancers are breast cancer.

However, although alcohol has been found to be a factor that increases breast cancer risk, Whitcomb and her colleagues wondered if the type of alcohol might make a difference. Red wine has been touted as a heart-healthy drink, and the researchers set out to see if wine type made a difference in breast cancer risk.

The researchers enrolled 6,327 women between the ages of 20 and 69 who had been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and 7,558 women without cancer to serve as a control group. All of the women were from Wisconsin, Massachusetts (excluding Boston) and New Hampshire.

All of the women were surveyed by telephone about their breast cancer risk factors, including their drinking habits. Women with cancer were surveyed within a year of being diagnosed.

Page:  1 | 2 | Next >>