Drinking alcohol

Nancy,

First, I want to say that although it's easy to blame ourselves for BC cognitively we should all know that why cancer occurs is multifactorial with genetics playing a huge role. So, while we can do things to decrease our risk of recurrence, we don't have total control.Please try not to blame yourself for the recurrence.

 I think that there is only 1 study on this and it showed that women who drank more then 3 drinks/wk with ILC had a higher rate of recurrence. My onc told me that I should limit alcohol consumption to no more then 3 drinks/wk. I have given up alcohol almost completely but I cook with wine sometimes and I'm not sure if this counts.

Hi Nancy-good topic, and interesting to hear different oncologists' take on it. I didn't drink a lot before bc-maybe 4 drinks a week at most. My onc has been "everything in moderation", but I see him in July and am going to ask about studies showing any concern with alcohol use. Plenty of my friends drink more, and they didn't get bc at age 43! I drink about the same amount now. I try not to eat much sugar or refined food, and I was always active and an OK weight. I really had no risk factors other than being female, getting older, and living in an affluent society. I doubt alcohol is the culprit...just my .02. Hope you are doing well

I think everything in moderation, including moderation

I drink the same as I did pre-diagnosis.  If drinking gave me my initial cancer then I fear I will have a recurrence from continued drinking but life is short.  What if my consumption did not lead to BC and it is a genetic flaw that is yet unaccounted for.  What if I get hit by a bus tomorrow or get e.coli from a bad cucumber (yikes, 3 dead in germany from spanish contaminated cukes).  

 I know gals on HRT with no cancer, even though proven increased risks exist.

I know women alcoholics (some still drinking, some now dead and some recovered) who are cancer free (obviously the dead would not get cancer).

My twin sister drank as much as I did in our partying 20's and she is cancer free.

I had a perfect bmi, exercised, was vegetarian for at least a decade, ate organic, lots of fruits/veggies, took vitamins...who knows..maybe "Over-healthing" myself prevented any free radicals to kill of the cancer.

Since there is no WELL known, absolute reason why we get breast cancer, I am not altering much in my life.  I eat meat, I exercise less, I still drink my wine with dinner, and I occasionally have a nice single malt scotch after dinner...not every night, but a tiny pour on occasion watching a good movie.  

Life is short and I am going to try to enjoy it as much as I can.  I know Julia Child ate and drank with abaondon.  She died just shy of 94 and had breast cancer...mastectomy and no other treatment.  Not sure what type she had, but life and cancer are a crap shoot.  That's my story and I'm sticking with it.  If mine comes back, I will be sad; I will wonder why....but clearly even if we do it all "right" there is no reason why some cancers never come back, why some do and why some ever appeared to begin with.

Best to you Nancy!!!

My onc never told not to drink any wine....so I enjoy a glass or two of red when the mood strikes...as some of the others have said, everything in moderation....

I have two glasses of wine every evening. My onc said a glass a day but my DH and I enjoy our wine with dinner. On the positive side...my Doc said I have the best cholesterol levels in his entire clinic. I have never eaten  soy, sweets, sugar , I very rarely have chips or junk snacks, don't drink pop so I think a couple glasses of wine won't hurt.

I had IDC & ILC (two separate tumours in different quadrants)  

I love my social drinks and since my dx I feel so guilty having them let alone enjoy them. I read an article posted by a top breast surgeon where she stated that ILC and alohol are like gasoline and fire. BC has altered our lives in so many ways right down to the social piece. I have always been careful about my alcohol intake because of the sugars and because I eat clean all but one day a week....my cheat day. Does this one day where I might have 3 or 4 drinks really jeopardize my reoccurence I wonder. I am going to Curacao for a week with a group of friends next month and am wonder if having tropical umbrella drinks everyday is going to put me back into the operating room! I know....what's more important.....my health or that alcoholic beverage??? I know the intelligent answer but geeeezzzz....a girl has got to have fun!!!! Doesn't she??

Sereena and Nancy - I'm right there with both of you on this. Just takes the fun out of living sometimes. And don't get me going on all the women I know who have been doing all the "don'ts" and ignoring all the "do's" for years (taking HRT, smoking, overweight, no exercise, etc.) who don't get BC while some of us who are role models for healthy living end up with it.

With that off my chest, thank you both for making me aware that there is evidence out there specifically regarding ILC and alcohol. I had no idea. 

I have to say I am torn on this subject.  I havent specifically asked my oncologist about drinking but when we discussed the possibility of me doing chemo I asked him about dietary restrictions.  he told me to eat whatever tasted good, because i might have a metallic taste in my mouth.  he said i could drink a bit if I felt like it- but if you like red wine(which I do) itmight not taste as good for a while. So I didnt get a hard and fast no alchohol.  I agree that we shouldnt take the fun out of living.  In the grand scheme of things I think I did just about everything right. I got my mammograms when I was supposed to, exercise 4 times a week, eat healthy etc.  Admittedly I drink on occassion. I think going forward i may turn down a drink more that i have in the past or have one instead of two.  All things in moderation...maybe a little more moderation going forward.

Angeljoy, My feelings exactly! I enjoy all those social events which always involves 1, 2 or even 3 social drinks and sometimes more than once a week. When I take a drink now all that's in my head is BC. Where's the fun?? I still do though, on the weekend have  a couple drinks and I am leaving in a few weeks to the Caribbean for a week with another couple and there will be umbrella drinks. I will try not to think of the BC. Its only a week.....can it hurt that much? In one week can the alcohol produce enough estrogen to wake up those ratty cancer cells. Just wondering about that!! BC really stinks:-(

You know,  I don't think we can compare our lives or make decisions based on the people who did/ate/drank whatever they wanted and never got cancer.  We are not those people, unfortunately.  We ended up with a cancer diagnosis, so I think we have to make our dietary choices based on how to prevent a recurrence.  If alcohol is contraindicated for women who have a history of cancer (and it seems really clear to me from everything that I've read that it is contraindicated) then we should basically avoid it, except on really special occasions.  That whole "kerosene on a gas fire" comment really got me thinking this morning.  

I have read that there does seem to be some risk if you have ILC. That being said I still will enjoy an occasional drink when my DH and I go out to a restaurant.

I've read the study and it hasn't change my thinking.  I seldom over-indulge anymore -- just don't want that headache and wasted day.  But if I feel like a drink or two I'm going to do it.  I've already lost a lot of days and time to cancer when I was in active treatment.  I'm not going to spend time worrying about risks that may or may not apply to me.  What's the point in going through chemo, radiation, surgery and emotional trauma if we live our lives in fear?  Instead of living in fear I want to spend my energy on doing the taking the extra steps to try and keep my eating healthier and my exercise more regular.  And doing it because I feel good about it and not feeling like it's what I have to do.