Oncologists link alcohol to rising breast cancer in young women
Experts in cancer care have raised concerns about the rising consumption of alcohol and tobacco use among young Nigerians, highlighting these behaviors as key risk factors for breast cancer in younger women.
In addition, factors such as poor diets, sedentary lifestyles, and exposure to chemical pollutants have been identified as contributors to the increasing incidence of breast cancer among adolescents and young women.
A study published in November 2024 in The Lancet, titled “The Current and Future Global Burden of Cancer among Adolescents and Young Adults,” reported an estimated 1,300,196 cancer cases and 377,621 cancer-related deaths in adolescents and young adults worldwide in 2022. The study noted that the age-standardized rates (ASRs) for both cancer incidence and mortality were higher in females than in males, with the global incidence of cancer 1.9 times greater for females (52.9 vs. 28.3) and mortality rates 1.2 times higher (13.1 vs. 10.6).
Although cancer incidence rates were highest in high-income countries, mortality rates were notably higher in low-income countries. The study revealed that case fatality rates ranged from 12% in high-income settings to 57% in low-income settings. Among the 33 cancer types analyzed, breast and cervical cancers were the most frequently diagnosed cancers and the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in 163 and 93 countries, respectively. The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer is projected to increase by 12% from 2022 to 2050, with low Human Development Index (HDI) countries expected to experience a more than 100% increase in cancer cases and deaths.
Professor Ifeoma Okoye, a Radiology expert at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, expressed alarm at the growing prevalence of alcohol and tobacco use among Nigerian youth. She cited research indicating that children aged 10-14 years are smoking in Nigeria, with alcohol consumption and smoking both identified as risk factors for breast cancer. While specific data on these trends is limited, Professor Okoye emphasized the concerning rise in alcohol use and smoking among young Nigerians, which research has linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
In a study involving Nigerian adolescents, about 12% had consumed alcohol within the past 30 days, with nearly 40% engaging in binge drinking. Additionally, around 25,000 children aged 10-14 years in Nigeria smoke cigarettes daily. Okoye pointed out that alcohol consumption is a well-established risk factor for breast cancer, with the World Health Organization attributing 7% of all new breast cancer cases in the European region to alcohol use. While the link between smoking and breast cancer is less clear, some studies suggest that smoking, especially when started early in life, could increase the risk.
Professor Okoye further emphasized the need for targeted public health interventions to reduce alcohol and tobacco use among young Nigerians to help mitigate future breast cancer risks.
She also highlighted both controllable and uncontrollable risk factors for breast cancer. Uncontrollable factors include gender (with women more likely to develop breast cancer) and family or personal history of the disease. Controllable risk factors include obesity, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, exposure to radiation, early menstruation, late menopause, and having fewer pregnancies or breastfed children.
Dr. Habeebu Muhammad, Chief Clinical Director at the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority–Lagos University Teaching Hospital Cancer Centre, discussed additional risk factors, including delayed marriage and a decline in breastfeeding culture. Women marrying later and having children at an older age (after 25) may face higher risks of breast cancer, as late pregnancies are associated with increased cancer risk. Additionally, the reduction in the duration of breastfeeding, often due to work commitments, has decreased its protective benefits against breast cancer.
Dr. Muhammad also noted that girls are reaching puberty earlier than before, which could increase their susceptibility to breast cancer, and that the overall number of children women have is declining, further reducing the protective effects associated with childbearing.
Both experts stressed the importance of addressing these risk factors through education, public health measures, and cultural shifts to reduce the burden of breast cancer in younger women.
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