I’ve been drinking for 7 years. Typicall I’ve only drank 3-4 drinks a year. If I stop drinking now, would that help decrease chances of cancer? If it does will it take a long time?

  • Dmian@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    That’s completely wrong. There’s no safe level of alcohol intake:

    https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health

    https://time.com/6248439/no-safe-amount-of-alcohol/

    Edit: from the articles, in case you don’t have time to read them:

    “We cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. It doesn’t matter how much you drink—the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage

      • KuchiKopi@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yep, it’s like saying that drinking communion wine at church is a risky amount of alcohol.

      • Dmian@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        OP asked: “will it decrease the risk?”

        And the answer is: “yes”.

        The rest of the discussion is accessory, and won’t change the facts.

        • Matte@feddit.it
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          1 year ago

          this is basically not understanding what “risk” means. if you have a 1% risk of developing cancer, and by doing something (ie drinking) you double relatively-wise that risk, it’s still only 2% of risk. would you stop drinking and enjoying alcohol and living a happier life for a mere 1%?

          all the numbers I’m using are totally random, but it shows that saying “it increases the risk” although technically correct doesn’t mean shit and it’s just fearmongering and a basic inability of understanding information.

    • KuchiKopi@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      As a non-drinker who has seen the ravages of alcohol abuse in several loved ones, I completely understand the “no level is safe” guideline.

      That said, 3-4 drinks per year is far below any measure of alcohol use that is seriously studied, where researchers look at drinking at the “amount per week” level. 3-4 drinks per year is essentially on the level of being a non-drinker.

      • Dmian@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        How do you know? Do you know OP’s medical records? Do you know if he has a genetic propensity to develop cancer or not?

        You can’t generalize in that way without information.

        We all know anecdotal cases of people who smoked or drunk heavily and lived long lives. And people who were non-smokers and died young from second hand smoke. You don’t know how your body will tolerate a substance you put in it. Some people can deal with things that other can’t.

        So saying “negligible in terms of the actual increase of risk” without actually having all the information about a person is a really bold thing to say, in my opinion.