A Link Between Alcohol and Cancer? It’s Not Nearly as Scary as It Seems
Likewise, we should be more concerned about a 5 percent risk increase to 21 percent
from 20 percent than about a 30 percent increase to 1.3 percent from 1 percent
A 30 percent increase in risk sounds scary, but an increase from 1 percent to 1.3 percent absolute risk does not, though these are the same things.
The absolute risks for that 40-year-old would go to 1.78 percent from 1.45 percent
for the moderate drinker, and to 2.33 percent for the heavy drinker.
A 2013 meta-analysis in the Annals of Oncology that looked at all cancers found that, over all, light
drinking was protective; moderate drinking had no effect; and heavy drinking was detrimental.
For breast cancer — which is the cancer that seems to be garnering the most headlines
— light drinking was associated with a relative risk of 1.04 in the announcement.
But it also found protective relationships — meaning a decreased risk of cancer — between six of them and light drinking.
These protective factors may be greater than all the other negative risk factors (even cancer)
that might be associated with light or moderate drinking.
Citing evidence, the American Society of Clinical Oncology warned that even light drinking could increase the risk of cancer.
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