Breast Cancer and Alcohol in Marin

Why does Marin County have one of the highest rates of breast cancer in America? While no one has established a definitive cause, alcohol consumption may be a factor, according to a recently published report in the journal Breast Cancer Research.

A two-year study by Marin Breast Cancer Watch and the University of California, San Francisco revealed that women who consumed two or more alcoholic drinks per day were diagnosed with breast cancer more than twice as often as those who drank less. At three drinks a day, the breast cancer rate was nearly four times higher.

Previous research has shown that Marin’s rate for the disease is 28 percent higher than in other Bay Area counties. The report also shows that the local rate of breast cancer is 38 percent higher than that found in other urban areas of California. Women in the County also drink significantly more, on average, than their counterparts in the rest of California or the nation, according to the 2001 Marin Community Health Survey.

“The high rates of breast cancer and alcohol consumption among women in Marin are both alarming statistics,” said Larry Meredith, director of the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services. "We know that daily alcohol intake raises a woman's risk for breast cancer. Therefore, as a community, we need to create and maintain conditions that support a healthier lifestyle and social environment where daily drinking is not so commonplace."

While more studies have been proposed to answer the many lingering questions, the latest research is one indication that Marin’s high rate of alcohol consumption may have an impact on the health of community members.

For the full study go to www.breast-cancer-research.com (subscription required).