Aug 30, 2013 11:55 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

New research from Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) suggests college-age women heighten their risk of breast cancer by drinking alcohol before motherhood, according to a news release.

The research links alcohol consumption from early adolescence to first full-term pregnancy with a more likely risk of breast cancer. Previous research has pointed to alcohol consumption later in life leading to breast cancer and other noncancerous breast disease.

"More and more heavy drinking is occurring on college campuses and during adolescence, and not enough people are considering future risk," said co-author Dr. Graham Colditz, associate director for cancer prevention and control at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. "But, according to our research, the lesson is clear: If a female averages a drink per day between her first period and her first full-term pregnancy, she increases her risk of breast cancer by 11 percent."

The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, pointed to daily alcohol consumption as the leading cause of the heightened breast cancer risk. For every bottle of beer, shot of liquor or glass of wine consumed daily, the researchers said, a young woman's risk of proliferative benign breast disease increases by 15 percent.

"Parents should educate their daughters about the link between drinking and risk of breast cancer and breast disease," lead author Ying Liu, a Washington University School of Medicine public health sciences instructor said. "That's very important because this time period is very critical."

The researchers reviewed data from a Nurse's Health Study II from 1989 to 2009, which surveyed 91,005 mothers. Colditz said reducing a young woman's alcohol intake to less than one drink per day is key to reducing their risk of breast cancer later in life.

"Reducing drinking to less than one drink per day, especially during this time period, is a key strategy to reducing lifetime risk of breast cancer," he said.

Colditz said the next step is to research how young women can combat alcohol's adverse affects should they choose to drink. Previous studies not focusing on alcohol consumption have stated that regular exercise and a healthy diet reduce cancer risk for anyone.

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