Women do not know about one of the biggest health risks linked to drinking too much – a raised chance of breast cancer, says a survey. While most knew that excessive alcohol intake could lead to liver disease or liver cancer, fewer than one in five linked it to breast cancer. The YouGov survey of nearly 2,000 men and women was described as ‘shocking’ by health minister Dawn Primarolo. An estimated four million UK women drink more than recommended levels. While there are many different risk factors for developing breast cancer, including family history and obesity, the association between alcohol and breast cancer is well established. There are more than 45,000 new cases of breast cancer in the UK every year, and the ‘lifetime risk’ of developing it is approximately one in nine. Women who drink one large glass of wine a day, which means 21 units of alcohol a week compared with the recommended 15, increase this by a fifth. Drinking two glasses a night boosts it by a third, while three big glasses mean more than a 50% increase. False beliefs The survey found that 82% of women were […]