Changes in alcohol consumption and the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort

PURPOSE: Alcohol consumption is a cause of breast cancer (BC), yet the association between changes in alcohol consumption during adulthood and the risk of BC has been examined little. This study aimed to investigate the association between midlife changes in alcohol consumption and the risk of BC. METHODS: Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort including 123,679 women, changes in alcohol intake were obtained by comparing middle-aged participants' alcohol intake assessed at recruitment and during follow-up, 9.8 years (median) later. Missing information about follow-up alcohol intake and covariates was multiple imputed. In the primary analysis, changes in alcohol consumption were investigated continuously as a change in alcohol intake of 10 g/day, calculated by subtracting the baseline intake (g/day) from the follow-up intake (g/day) and divided by 10 in relation to the risk of subsequent postmenopausal BC, overall, and by hormonal receptor status: estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). In a secondary analysis, changes in alcohol intake were categorized in nine combinations of three intake groups at baseline and follow-up (≤1 g/day, >1-8 g/day, and >8 g/day)., Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 4.0 years after the follow-up assessment, 2,173 cases of postmenopausal BC were diagnosed. No associations were observed between alcohol changes and BC risk (HR: 0.97, 95% CI 0.93, 1.01) per 10 g/day nor with ER-/PR-, ER+/PR, ER+/PR+, HER2-, or HER2+ specific BC. CONCLUSION: Changes in alcohol consumption during midlife were not associated with the risk of postmenopausal BC, either overall or by hormonal receptor status.

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Publication Details

Journal
European Journal of Nutrition
Published
2026-06-19
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-026-04008-5
Primary Topic
Cancer Risks and Factors
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Changes in alcohol consumption and the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort

Dzevka Dragic, Kim Overvad, Thérèse Truong, Charlotte Le Cornet et al.
European Journal of Nutrition
Cancer Risks and Factors
article

Changes in alcohol consumption and the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort

Dzevka Dragic, Kim Overvad, Thérèse Truong, Charlotte Le Cornet, Pietro Ferrari, Laure Dossus, Chiara Doccioli, Anja Olsen, Christina C. Dahm, Chiara Di Girolamo, Gianluca Severi, Fanélie Vasson, Daniel B. Ibsen, Renée T. Fortner, Sandar Tin Tin, Isobel G. Jackson, Marcela Guevara, Antonio Agudo, Matthias B. Schulze, Marc J. Gunter, Valeria Pala, Christian S. Antoniussen
article en

Abstract

PURPOSE: Alcohol consumption is a cause of breast cancer (BC), yet the association between changes in alcohol consumption during adulthood and the risk of BC has been examined little. This study aimed to investigate the association between midlife changes in alcohol consumption and the risk of BC. METHODS: Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort including 123,679 women, changes in alcohol intake were obtained by comparing middle-aged participants' alcohol intake assessed at recruitment and during follow-up, 9.8 years (median) later. Missing information about follow-up alcohol intake and covariates was multiple imputed. In the primary analysis, changes in alcohol consumption were investigated continuously as a change in alcohol intake of 10 g/day, calculated by subtracting the baseline intake (g/day) from the follow-up intake (g/day) and divided by 10 in relation to the risk of subsequent postmenopausal BC, overall, and by hormonal receptor status: estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). In a secondary analysis, changes in alcohol intake were categorized in nine combinations of three intake groups at baseline and follow-up (≤1 g/day, >1-8 g/day, and >8 g/day)., Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 4.0 years after the follow-up assessment, 2,173 cases of postmenopausal BC were diagnosed. No associations were observed between alcohol changes and BC risk (HR: 0.97, 95% CI 0.93, 1.01) per 10 g/day nor with ER-/PR-, ER+/PR, ER+/PR+, HER2-, or HER2+ specific BC. CONCLUSION: Changes in alcohol consumption during midlife were not associated with the risk of postmenopausal BC, either overall or by hormonal receptor status.

European Journal of NutritionVol. 65(5)
University of Copenhagen (DK), Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO), Steno Diabetes Centers (DK), Inserm (FR), University of Potsdam (DE), German Cancer Research Center (DE), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR), Aarhus University (DK), Heidelberg University (DE), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Institut Gustave Roussy (FR), Bellvitge University Hospital (ES), Aarhus University Hospital (DK), University of Oxford (GB), Instituto de Salud Pública de Navarra (ES), Institut d'Investigació Biomédica de Bellvitge (ES), Centre de recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations (FR), Institut Català d'Oncologia (ES), Navarre Institute of Health Research (ES), Cancer Registry of Norway (NO), Danish Cancer Society (DK), Piedmont Reference Center for Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention (IT), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (ES), Ospedale San Luigi Gonzaga (IT), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (IT), German Institute of Human Nutrition (DE), Centre international de recherche sur le cancer (FR), University of Florence (IT), Imperial College London (GB)
Aarhus Universitet, Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Cancer Risks and Factors
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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