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Obesity, Alcohol Consumption And Smoking Increase Risk Of Second Breast Cancer 

It is well known that survivors of breast cancer have a much higher risk of developing a second breast cancer than women in the general population have of developing a first breast cancer. However, little is known about what lifestyle factors may make survivors more vulnerable to a second cancer.

A new study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, has found that obesity, alcohol use and smoking all significantly increase the risk of second breast cancer among breast cancer survivors.

"We found that obese women had a 50 percent increased risk, women who consumed at least one alcoholic drink per day had a 90 percent increased risk, and women who were current smokers had a 120 percent increased risk of developing a second breast cancer," said lead author Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., an associate member of the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center. Li, an epidemiologist, primarily studies what causes breast cancer and how it can be prevented.

His study adds to a small but growing body of evidence that obesity (a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or more), alcohol consumption (consuming at least seven drinks a week) and current smoking may be important risk factors for second breast tumors. The research also suggests that current smokers who imbibe at least seven drinks a week may be at particularly high risk of second breast cancer.

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