ALMOST six women a day are admitted to hospital with alcohol-related breast cancer in the North-East, according to shocking new figures.

The rate of admissions in the region is well above the national average.

The statistics on alcohol-related breast cancer in the region have been published today by Balance, the North-East Alcohol Office, as part of its Think Twice campaign. They reveal a 13 per cent increase in the number of alcohol-related breast cancer hospital admissions in the region between 2008/09 and 2012/13 against a national increase of 9 per cent.

The regional alcohol-related breast cancer hospital admissions figures show that 2,109 women were admitted in 2012/13 - the equivalent of almost six women a day.

The figures show a 15 per cent rise in women aged 45-54 admitted over the same five-year period - above the national rise of 12 per cent.

The statistics also reveal an increase of five per cent in women aged 55-64 – there was an eight per cent decrease at a national level.

There was also a 39 per cent rise in admissions for women 65 and over – compared to a 32 per cent increase nationally.

Regularly drinking alcohol – even just one drink a day – can increase a woman’s risk of developing the disease, which is the most common cancer in the UK.

However, two-thirds of women in the North-East don’t realise that the more they drink the greater their risk of developing breast cancer.

Janet Forster, from Newcastle, who is recovering after being diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, is one of scores of women across the region who wasn’t fully aware of the link between alcohol and breast cancer.

Before being diagnosed Janet admits to regularly enjoying a couple of glasses of wine at night with her dinner and not thinking about how many units she was consuming. Now she now rarely drinks at all and urges other women to think twice about how much they drink.

The 51-year-old said: “My breast cancer was hormone-related, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been exacerbated by drinking. For me it’s about the fear of recurrence and I don’t want to go back to regularly drinking again because of the breast cancer connection. I can’t go through what I have been through again.”

Dr Wendy Carr, a breast physician at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “In my experience, many women are often very surprised to find out that drinking alcohol can increase their risk of not only developing breast cancer but also of recurrence. I would encourage women to assess how much alcohol they are drinking and cut back or take a few days out."

To find out more information and view two specially-made films go to balancenortheast.co.uk