> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Hormone therapy, alcohol boost breast cancer risk
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/hormone_therapy_alcohol_breast_cancer_0703150122/
- Published: 2015-07-03T14:21:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:53:43.000Z
- Description: Following 30,789 women aged 50 and over for more than a decade, researchers recorded 1,579 breast cancers and found hormone therapy raised risk at any body weight, with alcohol adding to that increase. The associations held only for estrogen receptor positive tumors.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Cancer, Avoiding Illness, #vivvo-import

Friday July 3, 2015 (foodconsumer.org) -- Hormone therapy boosts risk of breast cancer, particularly in women who drink alcohol, according to a new [study](http://journals.lww.com/epidem/Abstract/2015/05000/Risk%5Fof%5FBreast%5FCancer%5Fin%5FRelation%5Fto%5FCombined.9.aspx?ref=foodconsumer.org) recently published in the journal Epidemiology.

Hormone therapy is often prescribed to women to overcome menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. Previous studies have linked use of hormone therapy to increased risk of [heart disease](https://www.foodconsumer.org/hrt%5Fheart%5Fdisease%5F0331130345/) and breast cancer. Alcoholic beverages are recognized by the U.S. Toxicology Program as a human carcinogen.

The current study was based on data from 30,789 women aged 50 years or older who were followed for more than 10 years during which 1579 cases of breast cancer were identified.

The study found 

1) Among those who did not hormone therapy, alcohol drinking and obesity slightly increased risk of breast cancer;

2) Compared with women with normal body weight, those with any type of body weight faced a higher risk for breast cancer if they used hormone therapy;

3) Alcohol drinking boosted the increase in the risk of breast cancer induced by hormone therapy.

These associations were applicable to the estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer only.

The study concluded that "These analyses suggest an increased risk of breast cancer associated with hormone therapy use—a risk that may be particularly strong among women consuming alcohol."

Breast cancer is diagnosed in more than 210,000 women in the United States each year and the disease and complications kill about 40,000 within five years of diagnosis.

Breast cancer in many cases is preventable. Western diet including [alcohol drinking](https://www.foodconsumer.org/drinking%5Falcohol%5Fbreast%5Fcancer%5Fdeath%5F1208120254/), environmental pollutants, some professions ([night shifts](https://www.foodconsumer.org/night%5Fshift%5Fwork%5Fbreast%5Fcancer%5F0916121231/)), and exposure to hormone therapy and medical radiation can also affect the risk of breast cancer. Genetic default is responsible for a small fraction of breast cancer cases. Some authoritative organization says that [medical radiation](https://www.foodconsumer.org/radiation%5Fbreast%5Fcancer%5F072920121119/) and hormone therapy are two known major risk factors for breast cancer. (David Liu)

Hvidtfeldt, Ulla Arthura; Tjønneland, Anneb; Keiding, Nielsc; Lange, Theisc; Andersen, Ingelisea; Sørensen, Thorkild I. A.d; Prescott, Evae; Hansen, Åse Mariea,f; Grønbæk, Morteng; Bojesen, Stig Egilh; Diderichsen, Finna; Rod, Naja Hulveja, Risk of Breast Cancer in Relation to Combined Effects of Hormone Therapy, Body Mass Index, and Alcohol Use, by Hormone-receptor Status, Epidemiology, May 2015 - Volume 26 - Issue 3 - p 353–361