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. 2025 Jul 18;25(1):355.
doi: 10.1186/s12905-025-03887-w.

Awareness of the alcohol-breast cancer link among breast cancer survivors in the United States: a national cross-sectional survey

Gaurav Seth  1 , Vinitha Ganesan  1 , Navneet Kaur  2 , Sumayah Abed  2 , Keerthi Gogineni  3   4 , Monica H Swahn  5 , Priscilla Martinez  6 , Ritu Aneja  7
Affiliations

Awareness of the alcohol-breast cancer link among breast cancer survivors in the United States: a national cross-sectional survey

Gaurav Seth et al. BMC Womens Health. .

Abstract

Background: The rising incidence of breast cancer in the U.S. necessitates exploration of modifiable risk factors and prevention strategies. Alcohol is a known modifiable risk factor for breast cancer; however, limited research exists on survivors' awareness and perceptions of the alcohol- breast cancer link.

Methods: The Alcohol and Breast Cancer Link Awareness (ABLE) survey, conducted from September 16 to October 14, 2021, involved 5,027 female participants, including 204 breast cancer survivors. This analysis was based on a cross-sectional survey of U.S. women. Chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests, and multinomial logistic regression were used to explore sociodemographic factors influencing awareness of the alcohol- breast cancer link among breast cancer survivors.

Results: Only 30% of the breast cancer survivors were aware of the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. Younger women (ages 18 to 34) exhibited the highest awareness (41.7%). Notably, 26.3% of survivors were informed by a medical professional about this risk. Multivariate analyses revealed that medical advice significantly increased awareness of the alcohol-breast cancer link (Relative risk = 5.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.58-18.89, p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Fewer than one in three breast cancer survivors are aware of the alcohol-breast cancer link, but awareness improves with medical advice. Targeted educational initiatives directed at both health care providers and older survivors are warranted.

Keywords: Alcohol consumption; Breast cancer survivors; Health communication; Risk awareness; Survivorship care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All relevant ethical safeguards have been met in relation to patient or subject protection. The study has complied with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. The study was approved by the Georgia State University Institutional Review Board (H21673). Informed consent was obtained from all participants, at the survey’s outset. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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