Science / Medicine : Alcohol-Cancer Link Eased

Moderate drinking may not pose as much of a risk for breast cancer as previous studies have indicated, a federal scientist said.

Reporting on a new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, the researcher said that in 1981 and 1982, investigators at the CDC in Atlanta questioned 3,252 women, ages 20 to 54, with newly diagnosed breast cancers, as well as 2,971 women in the same age range who were in good health.

“We found no increased risk of breast cancer with alcohol use,” said Susan Y. Chu, an epidemiologist and biostatistician. There was no increased risk even among women who consumed up to 22 drinks per week.

Earlier studies suggested that even one drink a week constituted a risk. Chu said she was at a loss to explain the differing findings but noted that “since many risk factors for breast cancer seem to exert their effects at relatively young ages, the effect of drinking at younger ages needs to be explored.”