ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IS ONE OF THE MAJOR MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS FOR DISEASE, SAY WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SPECIALISTS DURING BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.
ACCORDING TO WHO EXPERTS, THERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, AND THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER INCREASES WITH EVERY UNIT OF ALCOHOL DAILY. THE ORGANIZATION SAYS BREAST CANCER IS THE MOST COMMONLY DIAGNOSED TYPE OF CANCER IN THE EUROPEAN REGION, WITH 1,579 WOMEN DIAGNOSED EVERY DAY, AND ESTIMATES THAT ALCOHOL CAUSES SEVEN OUT OF 100 NEW CASES OF BREAST CANCER.
“MANY PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE THAT BREAST CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON CANCER CAUSED BY ALCOHOL AMONG WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD. BY REDUCING YOUR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR RISK OF CANCER. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE TYPE, QUALITY OR PRICE OF ALCOHOL IS. EUROPE HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF NEW BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSES COMPARED TO ANY OTHER REGION.”
THE INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR RESEARCH ON CANCER (IARC) REPORTED IN 2020 THAT ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALMOST 40,000 NEW CASES OF BREAST CANCER IN EUROPE. THE SAME DATA SHOW THAT BREAST CANCER HAS BECOME THE MOST COMMON CANCER IN THE WORLD AMONG WOMEN. IN 2020, OVER TWO MILLION NEW CASES WERE ESTIMATED, OF WHICH, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS, AROUND 100,000 CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SAYS THAT MORE THAN 10 PERCENT OF ALCOHOL-RELATED CANCER CASES IN THE EUROPEAN REGION ARE RESULTING FROM DRINKING ONLY ONE BOTTLE OF BEER (500 ML) OR TWO SMALL GLASSES OF WINE (100 ML) EACH DAY. IN THE CASE OF BREAST CANCER, THE NUMBER IS EVEN HIGHER BECAUSE 1 IN 4 BREAST CANCER CASES ATTRIBUTED TO ALCOHOL IN THIS REGION IS CAUSED BY THIS AMOUNT.
IARC CLASSIFIES ALCOHOL AS A GROUP 1 CARCINOGENIC AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVEN TYPES OF CANCER. ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF NOT ONLY BREAST CANCER, BUT ALSO CANCER OF THE ORAL CAVITY, THROAT, ESOPHAGUE, LIVER, LARYNX, COLOR INTESTINE AND RECTUM.
“PUT SIMPLY, ALCOHOL IS TOXIC. IT HARMS EVERY ORGAN WHEN IT GOES THROUGH THE BODY” – SAID DR. CARINA FERREIRA BORGES, ACTING DIRECTOR FOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND PROGRAM MANAGER FOR ALCOHOL AND ILLEGAL DRUGS IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. RECOMMENDS LIMITING ALCOHOL AND REPLACING IT WITH OTHER DRINKS. ALSO CALLS FOR A NATIONWIDE POLICY THAT WILL HELP REDUCE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION.
WHO ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT COUNTRIES MAKE ALCOHOL LESS AVAILABLE (E.G. BY INCREASING TAXES), BANNING OR RESTRICTING ALCOHOL MARKETING IN THE MEDIA, AND PUT HEALTH WARNINGS ON ALCOHOLIC DRINKS.
SOURCE:
HTTPS://TINY.PL/9W579
