Getting tipsy?  Female drinkers could be at risk

By Kristen Burr, contributing writer
Posted on October 11, 2007

The results of a new study indicate that women who consume more than two alcoholic drinks a day double their risk of endometrial cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, endometrial cancer is cancer that forms in the tissue lining the uterus.  In 2007 in the U.S. there were 39,080 new cases diagnosed and 7,400 deaths.

Researchers used 41,574 postmenopausal women and controlled variables including body mass index, age, hormone therapy and whether they had been pregnant, reported The New York Times. The results also showed it did not matter what type of alcoholic drink the women consumed. Wine, beer or hard liquor all produced the same results.

 Sophomores Lisa Shinkarow, Thomas Brokamp, Kristi Sekulski and Jesi Capano don’t think these results will affect JMU’s predominately female campus.

 Both Brokamp and Capano feel most JMU women do not fall into the category of women who are in a habit of drinking two alcoholic drinks a day.

“I didn’t think it will affect JMU students, because I [personally] do not know many people who drink every day,” Brokamp said. 

Capano agreed.

“[To fall into that category,] you’d have to drink a lot and I don’t think the average college student drinks two drinks a day,” she said. “I think this study mostly affects older women who, for example, drink two glasses of wine at dinner daily.”

Sekulski and Shinkarow said that while students may or may not drink two drinks a day, they might not even care about the new statistics.

Shinkarow said that while the statistics are scary, they don’t hit home since the study was done on postmenopausal women.

“It doesn’t affect younger women [as much, and] the women of JMU should not have to worry about it,” she said. 

Sekulski said JMU students may have an invulnerable attitude towards the new study.

“I would say the majority of students do not drink two drinks a day and I think most students are not going to be affected by these statistics because they will have the mindset that ‘this is college and when I’m done college I’ll stop drinking,’” she said.                

Students also had differing opinions on the validity of the new study.

“I don’t put much faith in studies like [this] because every three months [or so] there’s a new study that disproves an old study,” Brokamp said. “I know one hundred-year-olds that still take shots and obviously they’re doing something right.”

Sophomore Ga-min Lee said the study seemed right on track.

“I think it sounds like a valid connection and it’s very believable,” she said.  “Prolonged alcohol consumption leads to a lot of different diseases and illnesses, so this sounds like it just adds on [to other studies].”

Sekulski said drinking is a personal choice and individuals should decide for themselves if they want to drink, knowing the risks.

She said, “But at the same time, you can lead a healthy life without drinking and still develop cancer.”