Women who have just one alcoholic drink each day increase their risk of cancer, according to a new study.
Consuming just one drink a day causes an extra 7,000 cancer cases in women in the UK each year, researchers found.
Around 5,000 of these cases are related to breast cancer but others are cancers of the rectum, liver, mouth and throat.
Researchers from the University of Oxford examined data for more than a million middle-aged women taken from the Million Women Study. They found that, among drinkers, consuming one drink a day increased the risk of all types of cancer by 6 per cent by the time women were 75.
The rates for individual cancers varied, with one drink a day causing a 12 per cent rise in the risk of breast cancer and a 44 per cent rise in cancer of the larynx.
For each additional drink up to a maximum of three a day, the percentage risk doubled for each type of cancer.
For example, women who drank two drinks a day had a 24 per cent increased risk of breast cancer and an 88 per cent increased risk of cancer of the larynx.
The researchers calculated each drink to be 10g of alcohol. In the UK, a standard measure of alcohol is 8g but a 10g equivalent would be a small glass (125ml) of 10 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume) wine or a 330ml bottle of beer at 4% ABV.
Dr Naomi Allen, cancer epidemiologist at the University of Oxford and lead author, said the study looked specifically at women who consumed low to moderate levels of alcohol — defined as three drinks a day or fewer.
“These findings suggest that even relatively low levels of drinking - about one or two alcoholic drinks every day - increase a woman’s risk of developing cancer of the breast, liver and rectum, and in smokers, cancers of the mouth and throat.”
The researchers found that it did not matter what women drank, it was the amount consumed which increased the risk of cancer.
For example, women who drank only wine were found to have a similar risk of developing cancer as those who consumed other alcoholic drinks.
Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, which helped fund the study, said: “We know that too much alcohol increases the risk of a number of cancers.
“This latest study shows that even relatively low levels of drinking increase a woman’s risk.
“It is important that women are as well informed as possible so they can take responsible decisions over how much alcohol they drink.
Cancer Research UK recommends that the more you cut down on alcohol, the more you reduce your cancer risk."
“The more you drink, the greater the risk.”
Dr Sarah Cant, policy manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “We already know that drinking alcohol can increase your risk of breast cancer.
“This study suggests that, for women over 50, even drinking moderate amounts of any type of alcohol can have many health consequences, including a greater chance of developing breast cancer.
“Around 80 per cent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in women aged over 50, so limiting how much you drink is one step you can take to try to reduce your risk of developing the disease.”
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “We keep our guidance on sensible drinking under review.
“We currently advise on a lower risk drinking limit as drinking above this level could be harmful.
“There is no completely safe level of drinking but this lower level reflects known health risks including breast cancer, which is partly why there is a lower drinking limit for women.
“We look forward to examining this research in more detail.”
The study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
PA