For women with breast cancer with higher BMI, drinking alcohol is associated with a lower risk for overall mortality, according to a study published in Cancer. Marilyn L. Kwan, PhD, and colleagues examined short-term alcohol intake in relation to recurrence and mortality in 3,659 women with a stage I to IV breast cancer diagnosis from 2003 to 2015. A food-frequency questionnaire was used to assess alcohol consumption in the past 6 months at cohort entry (mean, 2 months postdiagnosis) and 6 months later. A total of 524 recurrences and 834 deaths (369 breast cancer– specific and 314 cardiovascular disease–specific) were identified over an average follow-up of 11.2 years. Drinkers were more likely younger, more educated, and current or past smokers compared with non drinkers (36.9%). Overall, there was no association seen for alcohol consumption with recurrence or mortality. However, for women with a higher BMI (>30), the risk for overall mortality was lower with increasing alcohol consumption for occasional drinking and regular drinking around the time of diagnosis and at 6 months later (HRs, 0.71 and 0.77, respectively) in a dose-response manner.
