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A group of four women wear pink shirts and pink ribbons during a breast cancer awareness walk.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Alcohol’s Link to Breast Cancer

Studies show most women are not aware that drinking alcohol can raise their risk for breast cancer.  

In fact, the connection between alcohol and breast cancer is one of the most preventable threats to women’s health.

Alcohol is Linked to Cancer

Research shows that drinking alcohol raises your risk of getting several types of cancer, including:

  • Breast
  • Colon and rectum
  • Liver
  • Mouth and throat
  • Voice box
  • Esophagus

In North Carolina, cancer is the number one cause of deaths that are linked to alcohol use. In 2024, alcohol was responsible for more than 840 cancer deaths. Cancer deaths caused by alcohol have gone up 9% in the last 10 years.

How Alcohol Raises Breast Cancer Risk

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in North Carolina. It is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women.

Many factors can raise a woman’s risk for breast cancer. Alcohol is one of them.

Alcohol increases breast cancer risk in many ways:

  1. Alcohol can damage your DNA. When your body breaks down alcohol, it creates a chemical that harms your cells. This makes it harder for your body to fix damaged DNA.
  2. Alcohol increases hormone levels. Alcohol increases the amount of estrogen in the body. Higher estrogen levels can help some breast cancers grow.
  3. Alcohol triggers inflammation. Alcohol stresses the body and leads to inflammation. This can harm healthy cells.
  4. Alcohol blocks key nutrients. Alcohol affects how your body uses folate, a vitamin that helps protect against breast cancer.

You can take steps to reduce how alcohol affects your breast cancer risk.  

How Can You Reduce Your Risk?

The more alcohol a woman drinks, the higher her risk for breast cancer.

Health and cancer risks among women show:

  • Drinking one alcoholic drink per day has a 10% higher risk of breast cancer. 
  • Drinking 2–3 drinks per day has a 20% higher risk.

All types of alcohol, including wine and beer, can raise cancer risk. Even small amounts lead to harm.  

Remember, not all drinks are the same. Some contain enough alcohol to equal two or more standard drinks.

One drink equals a 12oz beer, 4-12oz craft beer, 8oz malt liquor, 12oz hard seltzer, 5oz wine, or 1.5oz distilled spirits. A 12oz premium cocktail equals 2 drinks. A 23.5oz supersized alcopop equals 5 drinks.
ABV means “alcohol by volume”

To see how many drinks are within a beverage, use the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Drink Size Calculator.

No amount of alcohol is safe. Each drink can increase your risk of cancer.

Drinking less alcohol is better, and not drinking at all offers the lowest risk.

Breast Cancer Call to Action

The North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, Central Cancer Registry estimates that in 2026:

  • More than 13,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer
  • More than 1,600 women will die from breast cancer

Screening can help find breast cancer early, before symptoms start. Most women are screened using a mammogram. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early. Mammogram screening cannot prevent breast cancer, but it can help you find it early, when treatment works best.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends yearly mammograms starting at age 40.

Affordable Preventative Services  

Screenings can be hard to afford, so the North Carolina Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program offers free or low-cost services for eligible women.  

Through this program, women may receive:

  • Cervical cancer screenings (Pap and HPV tests)
  • Clinical breast exams
  • Screening mammograms
  • Diagnostic tests, if needed
  • Medical consultations

Check your eligibility for affordable screenings: NC BCCCP

Resources for Women

Resources for Partners and Communities

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