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Epidemiology Of Moderate Alcohol Consumption And Breast Cancer: Association Or Causation?, Samir Zakhari, Jan B. Hoek

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Epidemiological studies have been used to show associations between modifiable lifestyle habits and the incidence of breast cancer. Among such factors, a history of alcohol use has been reported in multiple studies and meta-analyses over the past decades. However, associative epidemiological studies that were interpreted as evidence that even moderate alcohol consumption increases breast cancer incidence have been controversial. In this review, we consider the literature on the relationship between moderate or heavy alcohol use, both in possible biological mechanisms and in variations in susceptibility due to genetic or epigenetic factors. We argue that there is a need to incorporate …