Alcohol and Breast Cancer

While the role of alcohol consumption has been established as a risk factor for breast cancer, most of the research has focused the relationship on hormonally sensitive breast cancers.  A new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute takes a look at the risk of alcohol and breast cancer subtype.  While the study reconfirmed a higher breast cancer risk from alcohol overall and a higher risk for hormone-receptor positive cancers, it found that the associated alcohol/breast cancer risk was observed in invasive lobular cancer but not for invasive ductal cancers.

This suggests a distinct etiology for these sub-types  of breast cancer and further research is needed.