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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Dec 15.
Published in final edited form as: Cancer. 2023 Aug 9;129(24):3938–3951. doi: 10.1002/cncr.34972

Table 2.

Associations of alcohol consumption around breast cancer diagnosis and 6 months post-breast cancer diagnosis and recurrence and mortality in the Pathways Study

 Alcohol Consumption Around Breast Cancer Diagnosis Alcohol Consumption 6 months Post-Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Recurrence n=3659 (524 events) n=2763 (372 events)
n events HRa,b 95% CI n events HRa,b 95% CI
Non-drinker (<0.36 g/day) 1352 186 Ref Ref Ref 1183 168 Ref Ref Ref
Occasional (0.36-<6 g/day) 1211 191 1.14 0.92 1.42 878 112 1.06 0.81 1.39
Regular (≥6g/day) 1096 147 1.07 0.84 1.36 702 92 1.26 0.94 1.69
p for trend .52 .13
Non-drinker (<0.36 g/day) 1352 186 Ref Ref Ref 1183 168 Ref Ref Ref
Occasional (0.36-<6 g/day) 1211 191 1.14 0.92 1.42 878 112 1.06 0.81 1.39
Regular low (6-<12 g/day) 356 51 1.05 0.76 1.47 259 37 1.35 0.91 2.00
Regular medium (12-<24 g/day) 414 55 1.11 0.80 1.54 241 29 1.09 0.70 1.69
Regular high (≥24 g/day) 326 41 1.04 0.73 1.50 202 26 1.35 0.87 2.11
p for trend .71 .15
Continuous 6 g/day 3659 524 1.00 0.99 1.01 2763 372 1.01 1.00 1.02
Wine
 No 1273 188 Ref Ref Ref 1099 149 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 2386 336 0.91 0.73 1.14 1664 223 1.11 0.85 1.45
Beer
 No 2356 333 Ref Ref Ref 1924 254 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 1303 191 1.09 0.88 1.35 839 118 1.24 0.96 1.62
Liquor
 No 2724 395 Ref Ref Ref 1771 241 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 935 129 1.05 0.84 1.30 992 131 1.04 0.81 1.34
All-Cause Mortality n=3659 (834 events) n=2763 (594 events)
n events HRa,c 95% CI n events HRa,c 95% CI
Non-drinker (<0.36 g/day) 1352 342 Ref Ref Ref 1183 287 Ref Ref Ref
Occasional (0.36-<6 g/day) 1211 268 0.97 0.82 1.15 878 163 0.89 0.72 1.10
Regular (≥6g/day) 1096 224 0.89 0.74 1.08 702 144 0.95 0.76 1.19
p for trend .25 .54
Non-drinker (<0.36 g/day) 1352 342 Ref Ref Ref 1183 287 Ref Ref Ref
Occasional (0.36-<6 g/day) 1211 268 0.97 0.82 1.15 878 163 0.89 0.72 1.10
Regular low (6-<12 g/day) 356 69 0.87 0.66 1.15 259 52 0.97 0.69 1.35
Regular medium (12-<24 g/day) 414 89 1.02 0.79 1.31 241 47 0.85 0.61 1.19
Regular high (≥24 g/day) 326 66 0.78 0.58 1.03 202 45 1.05 0.75 1.48
p for trend .18 .78
Continuous 6 g/day 3659 834 1.00 0.99 1.00 2763 594 1.00 1.00 1.01
Wine
 No 1273 326 Ref Ref Ref 1099 257 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 2386 508 0.96 0.82 1.14 1664 337 1.00 0.82 1.23
Beer
 No 2356 569 Ref Ref Ref 1924 442 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 1303 265 1.00 0.84 1.18 839 152 1.01 0.81 1.26
Liquor
 No 2724 661 Ref Ref Ref 1771 414 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 935 173 0.87 0.72 1.04 992 180 0.94 0.76 1.16
Breast Cancer Mortality n=3659 (369 events) n=2763 (246 events)
n events HRa,d 95% CI n events HRa,d 95% CI
Non-drinker (<0.36 g/day) 1352 141 Ref Ref Ref 1183 122 Ref Ref Ref
Occasional (0.36-<6 g/day) 1211 132 1.04 0.81 1.35 878 74 1.08 0.78 1.50
Regular (≥6g/day) 1096 96 0.95 0.71 1.27 702 50 1.12 0.77 1.62
p for trend .77 .53
Non-drinker (<0.36 g/day) 1352 141 Ref Ref Ref 1183 122 Ref Ref Ref
Occasional (0.36-<6 g/day) 1211 132 1.04 0.81 1.35 878 74 1.08 0.78 1.50
Regular low (6-<12 g/day) 356 31 0.89 0.59 1.35 259 22 1.40 0.86 2.29
Regular medium (12-<24 g/day) 414 38 1.12 0.76 1.64 241 16 0.91 0.52 1.61
Regular high (≥24 g/day) 326 27 0.83 0.53 1.30 202 12 1.03 0.55 1.92
p for trend .66 .81
Continuous 6 g/day 3659 369 1.00 0.99 1.01 2763 246 1.00 0.99 1.02
Wine
 No 1273 140 Ref Ref Ref 1099 114 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 2386 229 0.97 0.75 1.25 1664 132 0.98 0.71 1.35
Beer
 No 2356 240 Ref Ref Ref 1924 173 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 1303 129 1.03 0.80 1.34 839 73 1.47 1.06 2.03
Liquor
 No 2724 297 Ref Ref Ref 1771 173 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 935 72 0.82 0.62 1.09 992 73 0.86 0.62 1.20
CVD Mortality n=3659 (314 events) n=2763 (234 events)
n events HRa,e 95% CI n events HRa,e 95% CI
Non-drinker (<0.36 g/day) 1352 139 Ref Ref Ref 1183 116 Ref Ref Ref
Occasional (0.36-<6 g/day) 1211 95 0.96 0.73 1.27 878 60 0.83 0.59 1.18
Regular (≥6g/day) 1096 80 0.89 0.66 1.22 702 58 0.96 0.67 1.38
p for trend .49 .71
Non-drinker (<0.36 g/day) 1352 139 Ref Ref Ref 1183 116 Ref Ref Ref
Occasional (0.36-<6 g/day) 1211 95 0.96 0.73 1.27 878 60 0.83 0.59 1.18
Regular low (6-<12 g/day) 356 23 0.85 0.52 1.36 259 18 0.87 0.49 1.54
Regular medium (12-<24 g/day) 414 28 0.84 0.54 1.30 241 20 0.91 0.54 1.54
Regular high (≥24 g/day) 326 29 1.00 0.65 1.56 202 20 1.11 0.67 1.86
p for trend .64 .94
Continuous 6 g/day 3659 314 1.00 0.99 1.01 2763 234 1.01 1.00 1.02
Wine
 No 1273 122 Ref Ref Ref 1099 99 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 2386 192 1.04 0.79 1.37 1664 135 1.03 0.73 1.44
Beer
 No 2356 216 Ref Ref Ref 1924 176 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 1303 98 1.13 0.85 1.50 839 58 1.18 0.82 1.69
Liquor
 No 2724 252 Ref Ref Ref 1771 168 Ref Ref Ref
 Yes 935 62 0.79 0.59 1.07 992 66 0.88 0.63 1.24
a

Adjusted for age at diagnosis, AJCC stage, race/ethnicity, education, menopausal status at diagnosis, nulliparity at diagnosis, hormone receptor status, surgery, treatment (radiation therapy, chemotherapy, endocrine therapy), smoking status at diagnosis, physical activity at diagnosis, BMI at diagnosis, comorbidity at diagnosis, neighborhood SES, and history of alcohol dependence at diagnosis.

b

For recurrence models, censored at first of KPNC health plan disenrollment or Pathways Study drop-out, death, or end of study (December 31, 2021).

c

For all-cause mortality models, censored at end of study (December 31, 2021).

d

For breast cancer mortality models, censored at first of KPNC health plan disenrollment or Pathways Study drop-out, death from other causes, or end of study (December 31, 2021).

e

For CVD mortality models, censored at death from other causes or end of study (December 31, 2021).

NOTE: 0.36 g/day, 6 g/day, and 12 g/day of ethanol are approximately 0.25 drinks/week, 3.5 drinks/week, and 7 drinks/week, respectively