The journal Pediatrics recently published a longitudinal study which examined the amount of alcohol teens drank and a specific type of breast problems. Benign Breast Disease (BBD) is known to increase the risk for breast cancer later in life, according to study co-author Catherine Berkey. Study participants were asked to assess their drinking while they were teens, which is one unique aspect of this study, involving nearly 7,000 women.  Researchers found that risk of developing BBD increased with the amount of alcohol consumed.

Higher amounts consumed, and more frequent consumption, of alcoholic beverages in adolescence may increase the occurrence of BBD in young women. Advising teenagers to avoid alcoholic beverages, along with avoiding smoking and sun exposure, may reduce cancer incidence in adulthood.

“Prospective Study of Adolescent Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Benign Breast Disease in Young Women” Conclusions

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Let teen girls know that if they drink, especially more than 1-2 days per week, they are at higher risk of developing breast problems as they get older. If you are worried that an adolescent you know might be using alcohol in a problematic way, please call today for an assessment.