Alcohol consumption may increase breast cancer risk

Drinking alcohol can put you at increased risk of breast cancer by enhancing the levels of a cancer-causing gene, a new study has warned.

“Our research shows alcohol enhances the actions of oestrogen in driving the growth of breast cancer cells and diminishes the effects of the cancer drug Tamoxifen on blocking oestrogen by increasing the levels of a cancer-causing gene called BRAF,” said Chin-Yo Lin from University of Houston in the US.

Researchers not only established that alcohol increases oestrogen-induced cell proliferation, but their findings also provide a direct link between alcohol, oestrogen and a cancer-causing gene in promoting cancer cell growth.

They found that alcohol inappropriately promotes sustained expression of BRAF, even in the absence of oestrogen, thereby mimicking or enhancing the effects of oestrogen in increasing the risk of breast cancer. Another key finding was that alcohol weakened Tamoxifen’s ability to suppress the rapid growth of cancer cells. The results suggest exposure to alcohol may affect a number of cancer-related pathways and mechanisms, researchers said. These findings not only shed light on mechanistic actions of alcohol in breast cancer, but also provide fresh insight to the cross-talk between alcohol and cancer-related gene pathways and networks in breast cancer, they said.