Drinking just one standard glass of wine a day may increase the risk of breast cancer returning for survivors of the common disease.
New research from Cancer Council Victoria shows that the equivalent of 60 ml of wine a day, or approximately half a bottle a week, could be enough to increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence.
With the overall five year survival rate for breast cancer at 90 per cent, the research shows there's an important need to update the current public health advice on alcohol consumption to include those diagnosed with cancer.
No more than two standard drinks per day for healthy men and women is recommended to reduce the risk of alcohol associated harms.
"These results show that as little as six grams of alcohol per day - that's just three tablespoons of wine - is associated with a modest increase in risk for women who have had breast cancer, particularly those who are post-menopausal," said lead researcher Dr Anna Boltong of the University of Melbourne.
Lowering alcohol consumption and maintaining a healthy weight is already known to reduce the risk of breast cancer - a disease that affects one in eight women in Australia.
Dr Boltong will present the findings of the study at the Behavioural Research in Cancer Control Conference in Melbourne.
