Pre-diagnostic alcohol consumption and breast cancer recurrence and mortality – results from a prospective cohort with a wide range of variation in alcohol intake
Cette étude de cohorte prospective incluant 29 875 participantes évalue l'impact d'une consommation d'alcool, avant le diagnostic de cancer, sur le risque de récidive du cancer du sein (durée médiane de suivi : 6 ans après le diagnostic)
The association between pre-diagnostic alcohol consumption and breast cancer recurrence and breast cancer specific mortality was investigated in 1052 women diagnosed with early breast cancer in a prospective cohort of 29,875 women. Known clinical, lifestyle and socioeconomic risk factors were evaluated and adjusted for in multivariate analysis. We found a modest but significant association between pre-diagnostic alcohol consumption and breast cancer recurrence with a median follow-up of 6 years after date of diagnosis, both when using baseline measures of alcohol intake (HR, 1.65; 95 % CI, 1.02 to 2.67; >2 units/day vs. ≤1 unit/day) and cumulated alcohol intake (HR, 2.02; 95 % CI, 1.06 to 3.85; >40 drinking years vs. 0<drinking years≤10). Results for breast cancer specific mortality were also suggestive of a higher risk but were not statistically significant. In addition to being a risk factor for breast cancer, a high pre-diagnostic alcohol intake also seems to have an effect on the course of the disease. We could not relate the finding to a specific tumor presentation.