My Family Doctor
A family practitioner for over 25 years, Dr. Hubbard knows the medical world inside and out. Frustrated by managed care and the lack of time doctors were able to spend educating patients, he launched James Hubbard's My Family Doctor: The Magazine That Makes Housecalls, a national magazine written by health care practitioners that is his answer to hurried doctor visits, conflicting medical studies, and complicated treatment options.
Does Alcohol Increase or Decrease Your Risk of Cancer?
Study findings are confusing
Well, here we go. Many recent studies, including one I referenced recently, have lauded drinking alcohol for its heart and stroke benefits. Now comes a large British study advising caution: any alcohol at all may increase the risk of cancer.
The study followed women, but I don’t see why its conclusions wouldn’t apply to men too.
It’s of significance because it included so many women: 1,280,296, to be exact, followed over 7.5 years.
The more they drank, the more they were at increased risk for cancers of the breast, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. The researchers actually found drinking alcohol decreased the risk for kidney, thyroid, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Overall, however, each additional drink per day increased total cancer risk by 15 per 1,000. (Thirteen percent of the above cancers could be attributed to alcohol.)
Is alcohol going to be the new coffee, with studies showing harm or benefit on a regular basis? Probably not.
The take-home message from this one is this: If you have a direct history, family history, or any other increased risk of cancer (e.g., smoking), be a teetotaler. If your risk is high for heart disease or stroke, consider continuing that daily drink (I still can’t bring myself to recommend starting—anyone ever heard of alcoholism?)
For all the rest of us, I don’t think the occasional drink can be considered unhealthy. Maybe the risks and benefits cancel themselves out.
What do you think?
By James Hubbard, MD, MPH
My Family Doctor Blog
[Originally posted February 27, 2009, James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor Web site.]
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