Should we be Drinking Alcohol?

dcarpenter

I have found myself drinking a beer or glass of wine almost every night.  I never did this before my BC diagnosis, but i enjoy it and seems to relax me- but is this safe -1 drink a day?

friscosmom

There are studies that would indicate alcohol is not good for us. I wish I had the link to it, hopefully someone will come along with it. Being ER+, probably not the best, I think if I remember correctly the idea is that alcohol has estrogen like properties, same with soy, and that they should be avoided particularly by ER+ women. I used to drink 1 a night prior to diagnosis and ofter wonder if I helped to bring this on myself. I have almost completely eliminated it since. I don't miss it that much and I figured if it could help me even  a little bit it was worth giving up. I have had probably 4 small glasses of wine since diagnosis, 2 of them were Wednesday night at a dinner party.

Luah

There have been several studies done showing alcohol as a risk factor for breast cancer.  A  recent study looked at recurrence rates among BC survivors, and was reported on at the San Antonio Symposium in December http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20091210/alcohol-raises-risk-of-breast-cancer-recurrence

Researchers found BC was 34% more likely to come back in women who drank more than 3  drinks per week. (I am not sure how they ensured accurate reporting;  people tend to under-report their drinking on surveys, so it could be they were drinking much more.  Also I don't think the results were broken out by hormone status - it would seem that ER-negative BC, as mine is, would be less susceptible to the estrogen effects of alcohol).  Some studies have shown that folate or folic acid has a counter-acting influence to alcohol.

I would talk to your doctor about it. I expect most would say the occasional glass of wine is fine, and the research would bear that out... in the end, though, we must all weigh the risks and benefits for ourselves and feel comfortable with our actions.  Some women choose to give it up entirely, not wanting to up the risk.  Some say BC has robbed us of so much already, I'm not going to give up the pleasure of a glass of wine now and again.   

Beesie

It's funny how all the bad reports about alcohol get published, but when the information is clarified and news isn't nearly so dire, there is are no press reports about it.  Watch this and you'll feel more comfortable enjoying your wine:

http://www.ecancermedicalscience.com/tv/video-by-category.asp?play=364&cid=5&scid=0&q=

Claire_in_Seattle

You ladies might want to look at this.  Michelle Holmes is one of the leading researchers in the country, and headed the team reporting the findings on the association of aspirin usage with a much lower rate breast cancer recurrence.

http://www.ecancermedicalscience.com/tv/video-by-category.asp?play=364&cid=5&scid=0&q=

See that Beesie beat me to it.

Beesie

Ah, Claire, since you've posted the link too, I will give you credit.  Claire is the one who found it and sent it to me, as a fellow wine lover! 

ananda8

I stopped drinking about 7 years before diagnosis.  I use to have a drink every night, sometimes two.  I quit because I decided to follow the 8-fold path.  I don't miss the alcohol, but wonder if my cancer would have developed had I stopped drinking sooner.

Luah

Beesie and Claire: Thanks for posting that. Very nice to have the fuller perspective.

iHEARTu

So many decisions we all have to make after our diagnosis? However, I can't give up my favorite Pino Nior. This video has made me feel better about making my decision.

Thank you for sharing!

catherine

dcarpenter

thanks for all the responses,

bcamnb

Hi,

Permit me to jump in. The nurse specializing in nutrition at the Breast Cancer Supportive Care Foundation in Calgary indicated the ethanol in alcohol is the main culprit for RECURRANCE of BC. From what I have read, three drinks/week should be OK. BUT for us ER+ women (and those of us on tamoxifen, especially those of us who do not metabolize tamoxifen well), we need to watch out for the hops in beer and the revesterol in red wine, both of which contain phytoestrogens.

Pre BC, I was one who enjoyed a glass of red wine with dinner; now I am down to 3 drinks MAX per week, and often, as a treat, chose red wine.

Cheers,

C

ktym

I think that someone could say that the reason alcohol is an issue is because of the ethanol/hops/revesterol,  however, I don't think anyone can say that it is the main culprit for recurrence of breast cancer.  Slight difference in phrasing, big difference in meaning. We all wish it would be that easy to prevent a recurrence, but it isn't.  Bessie, you're so right about the media.  Don't think the medical establishment giving out advice does much better in interpeting the studies sometimes.  Maybe I'm too much of a cynic, but, didn't give up soy in moderation either. 

bcamnb

I worded that very badly. I meant to say ethanol is the main culprit IN ALCOHOL, not the hops/ resveratrol..... You are absolutely right KMMD

But now reading about the phytoestrogens in red grape wine.....well  another conversation.

C