Alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common disease in women around the world. The risk factors associated to BC have been widely discussed in the literature, however, the possible effect of alcohol consumption remains unclear and requires further clarification and in-depth understanding. In this mini-review, we discusse numerous prospective studies conducted from 1989 to 2018 to monitor the emergence of BC, and to clarify the association between alcohol consumption and BC risk. Results: Alcohol consumption is positively associated with the risk of BC compared to non-drinkers. The findings showed that this positive association could be influenced by several factors, including age, premenopausal and postmenopausal status, social factors ,duration and intensity of alcohol use and family history. Conclusion: There is a positive effect of alcohol consumption BC risk at all levels of consumption.