Alcohol

LisaEgnash

I was just diagnosed. I’m having surgery next week. I just went to my primary MD for the pre-op and she said I have to quit drinking because it would increase the chances of reoccurrence. I wouldn’t say I’m an alcoholic but there’s a lot of wine at book club, out to eat and various parties every week. What if I just cut back? I didn’t really plan on completely changing my lifestyle.

catlady2

Everything that I have read points to alcohol as a risk factor in recurrence. Personally I never want to go through the treatment and subsequent fear of getting cancer again. If that means giving up drinking, so be it. I went through treatment 6 years ago and have not had a drink since then. Would I love a drink now and then absolutely! But staying alive and healthy is more important than the immediate satisfaction of a drink. My friends are supportive when I tell them I don't drink. Some of them do not know I am a cancer surviver. Bottom line, read up on alchohol and the risk for recurrence and make an informed decision. Best wishes for successful surgery and whatever treatment comes afterwards….

LisaEgnash

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1719029#Comment_1719029

Thank you Catlady! I appreciate your perspective. I’m pretty sure I can cut back 75-90%. I'm with you, I’d hate to go through this again. I’ve learned life isn’t a guarantee but a gift. There are some websites saying there is no correlation between reoccurring and alcohol but it only makes sense that it would be since it’s a risk factor.

bettytatA62

Maybe it’s not the alcohol, but the sugar. Anything with sugar seems to be bad for the body and mind. I’ve read often that alcohol is just bad for the body, so I stay clear of all alcohol and most sugars since I was diagnosed. I also stay away from red meat, fried friends, processed food, chemical laden foods. I’m not 100% vegetarian but I really focus on what veggies nuts and fruits to eat and how to eat them. I don’t focus on what I can’t have because the shock my diagnosis gave me really turned me off from bad foods and drinks. But I would be lying if I said I never miss a martini every once in a while.

Heritage07

I follow more of a ‘everything in moderation’ lifestyle. I don’t drink alcohol often, but if I want a drink, I will have it. Same holds true for all other drinks and foods. There are no guarantees in life so I do not believe in robbing myself of all enjoyment. Plenty of women (and men) are super healthy and fit and still get cancer or any one of a multitude of serious illnesses. Best wishes with your treatment.

RocDocVic

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/328695/alcohol

In my opinion there is no scientific data showing that if you drink in moderation, and eat a healthy balanced diet, then cancer has a higher risk of recurrence. I would ask your doctor for the studies that were performed and what the specific risk rates are. FWIW I still have wine with my dinner.

catlady2

From the American Cancer society:

"Breast cancer:

 Drinking even small amounts of alcohol is linked with an increased risk of breast cancer in women. Alcohol can raise estrogen levels in the body, which may explain some of the increased risk. Avoiding or cutting back on alcohol may be an important way for many women to lower their risk of breast cancer. "

RocDocVic

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1719059#Comment_1719059

Again, there is no scientific data nor studies showing a direct link. Increased estrogen levels? How about for women who don't have ER positive breast cancer? I will continue to have my glass of wine with dinner. Better than being obese which is a known risk. At least I've got a great BMI and am far from being over weight. From what I can tell on other forums there are many more overweight/obese women who have breast cancer.

MoeKay

Interesting topic. Here's what the National Cancer Institute has to say about alcohol and cancer risk. The article provides an extensive list of references at the end for anyone who wants to dig further into the topic. I've copied below one part of the article that seemed to be most relevant:

"What is the evidence that alcohol drinking can cause cancer?

"There is a strong scientific consensus that alcohol drinking can cause several types of cancer (1, 2). In its Report on Carcinogens, the National Toxicology Program of the US Department of Health and Human Services lists consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen.

The evidence indicates that the more alcohol a person drinks—particularly the more alcohol a person drinks regularly over time—the higher his or her risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer. Even those who have no more than one drink per day and binge drinkers (those who consume 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more drinks for men in one sitting) have a modestly increased risk of some cancers (3–7). Based on data from 2009, an estimated 3.5% of cancer deaths in the United States (about 19,500 deaths) were alcohol related (8)."

Here is the link to article in its entirety: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet

catlady2

There are no guarantees a person will not get cancer again no matter their lifestyle. Read up and make your own decision. I think it is a combination of things and how an individual responds to what we put in our body and our activity level. My choice was to remove alcohol, make dietary and fitness changes and live as healthy and stress free life as I can. My doctors are supportive of my decisions. If I get cancer again, I know I did everything I could to prevent the recurrence.

Your choices may be different and that is what makes us all human.

Peace and good health!

Shelly_1958

All things in moderation. I think red wine is beneficial in some ways, but again in moderation. It is all about the sugar. Cancer loves sugar - it feeds on it.

RocDocVic

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1719569#Comment_1719569

That's another myth that cancer loves sugar and feeds off it. Of course too much sugar is a bad thing because it can cause other medical problems such as obesity. Obesity is a known risk factor for some types of cancer. Everything in moderation is my motto.