Teenage drinking raises breast disease risk

Young women who drink alcohol put themselves at a higher risk of developing breast disease that is a known risk factor for cancer.

Women with benign breast disease have hard lumps in their breasts, which may in some instances turn cancerous. The broad group of conditions includes irregular cysts, breast discomfort, sensitive nipples, and itching. Earlier reports have linked adolescent drinking to benign breast disease based on women's recollections many years later but the participants were not followed up till adulthood.

To explore the link between alcohol consumption during teenage and risk of benign breast disease (BBD), researchers followed 6899 American women. The participants were made to complete annual questionnaires from 1996 through 2001, when they were 9 to 15 years old. The participants were the followed by questionnaires in 2003, 2005, and 2007. On the 2003 survey, the participants (then aged 16 – 23 years) provided information about their drinking habits during the previous year. On the 2005 and 2007 surveys, a total of 6899 women (aged 18 – 27 years) reported whether a health care provider had ever diagnosed them with BBD and whether it was confirmed by biopsy.

When the women were interviewed at age 18 to 27 years, 67 - or about 1 percent - said they had been diagnosed with benign breast disease and had the diagnosis confirmed with a biopsy. After adjusting for factors like body mass index, it was found that those who drank more were also more likely to suffer from the condition, with each average daily drink adding to the risk. Girls who drank 6 or 7 days a week had a five per cent higher risk of suffering from benign breast disease than those who never drank or who drank less than once a week.

It's not clear why alcohol would have an effect on the condition, but researchers speculate that alcohol's effect on the female hormone – oestrogen, could promote breast tissue growth.

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