Breast cancer rates are on the rise, and doctors fear that alcohol could be a big reason why. CNN’s Meg Tirrell speaks to an expert to learn more about this under-discussed link.

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Recent reports indicate that breast cancer rates are increasing, with medical experts pointing to alcohol consumption as a significant contributing factor. Alicia Korber, diagnosed with breast cancer at 44 with no genetic risk, learned from her doctor that alcohol is a known risk factor. A Surgeon General advisory has confirmed a causal link between alcohol and several types of cancer, including breast cancer, yet public awareness of this connection remains low.

Data shows that women, especially those with higher education levels, have increased their alcohol consumption over recent decades. Doctors note that while better detection methods may also contribute to rising cancer rates, reducing alcohol intake can help lower individual risk. Even moderate drinking—such as one drink a day—can increase breast cancer risk, and experts recommend cutting back regardless of age or past habits.

Breast cancer rates are rising, could alcohol consumption be the cause?

Every time I'd go to, like, the, you know, the center, the cancer centers, I was young. Like, I was, like, by far, you know, younger than everybody by, like, 20 or 30 years. Alicia Korber found out after her first mammogram at age 44 that she had breast cancer. Wow, how is this even possible? Like, I'm healthy, I'm young, I take care of myself, I work out, I, you know, do all the things that you assume you're supposed to do. Testing showed she had no elevated genetic risks for cancer, so Korber and her doctor discussed what environmental factors could play a role. He mentioned one that surprised her, alcohol. I feel like alcohol is socially part of everyone's life. Going out with family, you know, going out for dinner when you're at home, like, having a glass of wine when you cook, working in the city and, you know, possibly going out for drinks, out to work with friends. When you're young, you don't think that that's something that could potentially, you know, have a long-term effect on you when you're older. Her doctor, Sam Nardello at Tufts, says Korber is not alone. It's so socially acceptable to have a cup of cocktails on the weekend, but we don't really attribute that to the real risk that it is. A Surgeon General advisory in January sounded the alarm. There is a causal link between alcohol and seven types of cancer, including breast cancer and colon cancer. But what is also clear is that the majority of Americans do not know about this link between alcohol and cancer. And data show women have been drinking more over the past few decades. Researchers say the trend is most evident in women with higher levels of education and could be driven by having kids later and by more marketing of alcohol to women. Doctors worry this could be leading to more cancer diagnoses. Breast cancer rates have been rising by 1% a year. Over a quarter of a million women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. and that's too much, that's way too high. 44,000 of them, there's a direct correlation between alcohol and them developing the breast cancer. Better detection could also be playing a role in rising breast cancer rates. Nardello notes it's not possible to know if alcohol is the direct cause of anyone's cancer, but he recommends cutting back. What about if, you know, you went to college in the 2000s and everybody was drinking a lot and as a 40-year-old you're like, uh-oh, I should stop now. Does that help reduce your risk? It does help reduce your risk and that's nice to hear. There needs to be more research on what that is, but I'd say it's never too late. The latest research suggests that risks for breast cancer rise even with one drink a day, the longtime recommended limit for women in the U.S. As a result of her diagnosis, Korber says she's made some big changes. I know it's difficult when you're working and you've got, you know, young kids and you take your health and put it kind of to the back seat. And having this conversation and hearing more about the Surgeon General's warning, I think, you know, I think ultimately consuming less alcohol, you know, just makes a whole lot of sense. Meg Terrell, CNN, Boston.

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