DENMARK — Barely more than one in five women in Europe know that alcohol is a risk factor for breast cancer, a disease that is a “major” health problem in the region, the European branch of the WHO warned on Friday.
“21% of women in 14 European countries know the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing breast cancer. Knowledge is lower among men, since only 10% know of this link,” he said in a statement. WHO-Europe, which brings together 53 countries and extends to Central Asia.
In Europe, 600,000 cases of breast cancer will be recorded in 2022.
“For women in Europe, breast cancer is the leading cancer caused by alcohol, accounting for 66% of all cancers attributable to alcohol,” the UN institution noted.
Alcohol affects estrogen levels, which play a role in the development of numerous breast cancers. Even relatively low alcohol consumption can contribute to increased risk, the WHO warned.
“More than half of alcohol-attributable breast cancer cases in Europe are not due to excessive alcohol consumption, and around a third of new annual cases are due to consumption equivalent to two small glasses of wine a day “he emphasizes.
Source: AFP
