Alcohol consumption and breast cancer recurrence

[Vic]

I know I should be posting this on Diet and Nutrition, which I did in response to Hopeful's posting on this topic, but I'm feeling really concerned with all this and wanted to post here, too. I'm feeling scared as we're in Orlando and last night we consumed almost an entire bottle of Pinot Noir with dinner and then I saw HLN reporting on Kaiser Permanente's study this morning and immediately went to the her2 site and read Hopeful's posting.

My husband loves wine and buys it weekly and I have a glass with dinner. I hope I haven't hurt myself in the process. I'm post-menopausal and ER- which was noted in the study. I guess it's no more wine ever or possibly one glass a week and THAT'S IT. I just hope my previous consumption hasn't hurt me. Here's Hopeful's link from Diet and Nutrition:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8406273.stm

[Becky]

Vicki

Just saw your email in my box and I will answer you when I return home. I am in San Antonio now and saw this paper given live. Although we all know that too much of anything is not good for us, this was a VERY FLAWED study. I don't want to get into the nitty gritty but they did this by survey. How many of you who drink 1-2 glasses of alcohol a day would say so. If you drank 2, would you just write down one? Is a woman who doesn't drink but lays on the couch all day with an extra large bag of Doritos better off than one who eats a Meditteran diet with lots of fruit, veggies, nuts, fish, olive oil and a glass or two of red wine (who also walks a couple of miles a day)? There were tons of questions such as those who drink - are they inactive, obese, depressed.

Lifestyle studies are very hard because you are not controlling other lifestyle aspects concurrently such as diet, exercise, supplements etc. To do this right, one has to give everyone their food and supplements and then let them choose to exercise or not and drink or not. Then you can tell differences more.

Moderation is key. Just don't go out and get hammered every night!

Flawed study - very much so.

[Patb]

I totally agree with Becky. I eat healthy and lots
of veggies and fruits but I do have red wine with
my dinner most nights, not a lot but a glass.
patb

[Nancy L]

I also agree with Becky. There have been too many conflicting study results on this topic. I have a report from a study that says only ER+ tumors are affected by alcohol consumption. This is because it is believed alcohol fuels estrogen. I have an appointment with Dr. Slamon this month and I am going to ask him which study has validity.

[AlaskaAngel]

Hi Vic,

To me the gist of it points not so much to alcohol per se but to alcohol being a highly significant source of excess weight gain that then increases the risk. If so, the more you are able to control excess weight gain, the less effect there would be. One of the major problems with alcohol consumption is that for some, it gets substituted for healthy foods -- sometimes it competes economically in terms of people not buying better or adequate foods because of the amount of money they are spending on alcohol. Keep a healthy weight as best you can on a healthy balanced diet, and get regular exercise.

A.A.

[Vic]

Becky,

It's always nice to hear from you and I'm glad you are right there at the pulse of body politics. We couldn't have a better representative there than you. You are always so reassuring to me and to the other women who enjoy wine and posted here, too, I'm feeling much better and more realistic about the way I'm interpreting this recent report. Your details on the flawed reporting of this, Becky, put things in perspective, and help me to see it differently and with consideration. Thanks to everyone for giving me time to think more on this.

Time to enjoy some oatmeal with walnuts, raisin, olive oil, pepper and turmeric. Then, later I'm seeing a play about Scrooge in San Pedro with a girlfriend and then we're having dinner @ Bono's Italian restaurant in Belmont Shore with another friend (yes, that's Sonny's other daughter, Christy or Christie, who owns it.) ;-)

Vicki

[StephN]

Hi Vicki -
Have a great time, and don't feel strange about ordering a glass of wine with your dinner.
As we have spoken more about that study that CNN and company picked up sound bites from the more we see it's problems.

[Laurel]

Oh hell, I'm drinkin' and I am NOT going to feel guilty or paranoid about it. Serve me up another chocolate martini, Garcon!