A bit of booze might help women survive breast cancer, study finds

Alcohol can increase your chances of dying from cancer, but paradoxically, it might also help you survive a cancer diagnosis. According to a new study of 25,000 breast cancer patients conducted by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, women who drank moderately (that's three to six drinks a week) before developing the disease are 15 percent less likely to die from it. Those moderate drinkers are also 25 percent less likely to develop heart disease, which is recognized as a contributor to death among breast cancer survivors. "This is good news for women because it might help direct some of their choices after their diagnosis," said the study's lead author Polly Newcomb.