Actress Miranda McKeon, 24, Explains When She Drinks Beyond the Recommended Amount as a Cancer Survivor, She Suffers From Anxiety – How Alcohol Influences Cancer Risk

“I know at some point I will stop drinking, but right now, I’m 24, I live in the West Village, and I really enjoy going out with my girlfriends and having a few beverages.”

She admits she drinks “way more than three drinks a week” and isn’t proud of it. The deeper fear, she says, is the thought that if her cancer ever returned, she might blame herself for drinking. “I grapple with that,” she shared.

McKeon has spoken before about how the possibility of recurrence weighs heavily on her.

“Recurrence is always on my mind. It’s where all of my anxiety stems from, unfortunately,” she wrote in a recent Instagram story.

Experts emphasize that completing treatment is the most important step in lowering recurrence risk.

“The best way to reduce your risk of recurrence with breast cancer is to follow treatment guidelines and complete the course of treatment that’s given,” says Dr. Elisa Port, a breast surgical oncologist at Mount Sinai. She adds that heavy alcohol intake is one lifestyle factor that may increase risk.

Even with these concerns, McKeon is working to release the “blame and shame” around her choices.

“Yes, I’ve had cancer, but we should all be considering alcohol as a horrible thing we’re putting into our bodies,” she said.

“Just because I’m a cancer survivor and will drink alcohol, I shouldn’t hate myself and feel bad about it.”

As she shared her inner dialogue around drinking, McKeon is continuing her regular Lupron (leuprolide acetate) injection, a hormonal injection, which is part of her breast cancer treatment regimen.

Is There a Link Between Cancer and Alcohol Consumption?

There is a clear link between consuming alcohol, especially drinking it regularly over time, and an increased risk of several cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. Those cancers include head and neck, esophageal, liver, breast, and colorectal.

According to a study published last year in JAMA Network Open, people with “heavy drinking levels had an associated higher risk” of developing alcohol-related cancers than those who did not drink.”

The study included 4.5 million participants who self-reported their drinking habits. The results concluded that people who reduced their alcohol consumption lowered their risk.

Conversely, “Those with moderate or heavy drinking levels who quit drinking had a higher all cancer incidence than those who sustained their levels, but when quitting was sustained, this increase in risk disappeared.”

WATCH: Alcohol and its impact on colon cancer risk.

Each drink increases a woman’s risk for breast cancer, according to some SurvivorNet experts.

Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal cancer surgeon at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, said she also believes alcohol increases the risk for certain cancers but acknowledged that the data were mixed, especially for colon cancer.

“I do think that high levels of alcohol certainly predispose to a certain number of cancers, including pancreatic and liver cancer, and may predispose to colon cancer,” she said.

“But there’s also some data that shows that low levels of alcohol, or a glass of wine here and there, may actually lower your risk of colon cancer,” Dr. Yeo continued.

How Much Alcohol Can You Consume?

When it comes to knowing how many drinks you can safely have? The World Health Organization has plainly said that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.

If you want to have absolutely no risk from alcohol, then don’t drink at all. But drinking less than four glasses a week of alcohol is considered okay, SurvivorNet experts say.

Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest two drinks or less per day for men and one drink or less per day for women.

Dr. Yeo shared a similar message regarding moderation.

“For women, anything over half a glass or a glass a day is probably not helping your overall health,” Dr. Yeo said. “For men, they can probably go one to two glasses before they start seeing health effects.”

Helpful Tips to Help You Avoid Alcohol

Do you struggle with alcohol in times of stress? Victoria Martin did. She is a breast cancer survivor and wellness coach who used her own experience to help others with alcohol addiction.

She shared some helpful tips and actionable steps people can use to help break unhealthy habits and cope with stress without alcohol.

• Mindset: Instead of thinking this is something you must give up, try making a tiny shift in your language and thinking that still feels true. Have an open mind and think about what you will gain and learn rather than approaching it from deprivation.
• Be Curious: What would it feel like to experience new thoughts and feelings to replace the worn-out ones? Realizing that you can change your patterns and see what is on the other side is empowering.
• Understand This is Not the Garden of Eden: Thinking of anything as a “forbidden fruit” creates even greater cravings, feelings of resentment, and deprivation. You are simply getting curious and creating changes that you get to make. Also, emotional attachments to our habits are very real, so acknowledging and honoring these feelings is perfectly healthy.
• Create a Toolbox: Habits that no longer serve us did serve a purpose at some point, which is part of why we use them past their expiration date. You may be surprised at how uncomfortable some moments can be, but you can learn tools and tactics to make it easier than staying stuck.
• Find Your People: You are not alone. Luckily, there is strength in numbers and a community where you can connect with people who understand what it is like. Sharing your experience will not only help you feel less alone, but you will also be helping others.
• Drop the “Shoulds”: One of the quickest ways to be defeated is by “shoulding ourselves.” Expecting perfection and tearing ourselves down will only lead to our maladaptive habits gaining more of a foothold. Practice speaking to yourself like you would talk to a friend and see how kindness gets you moving in the right direction.

Miranda’s Cancer Journey Started at a Young Age

McKeon was still a teenager when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.

Stage three breast cancer typically refers to a relatively large tumor that may have invaded nearby skin or muscle tissue. It may also mean that lymph nodes near your breast and/or under your armpit are involved. In most cases, stage three breast cancers will need chemotherapy. If the cancer is also hormone receptor-positive, aggressive hormonal therapy may be offered as well.

WATCH: Understanding Stage 3 Breast Cancer

She said a small lump “the size of a jellybean” in her breast initially caught her attention.

“I stepped away into the bathroom. I peed, fixed my hair, and performed the classic boob scoop, a typical mid-party practice,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I brushed across a lump that was definitely not there before. It was the size of a jellybean but powerful enough to sink my stomach and set off emergency sirens in my head.”

After going to see her doctor about it, she underwent a mammogram, which screens for breast cancer. She also underwent a biopsy and an ultrasound. The tests confirmed her diagnosis of stage 3 hormone-positive breast cancer in June 2021. Interestingly, the young actress said she did not have a family history of the disease.

“I spent most of that time confused and scared, but mostly in shock,” she told Coping magazine. Most of us go through life believing that we are untouchable. It’s a crazy feeling when the spinner lands on you.”

After chemotherapy, she underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction, followed by 25 rounds of radiation.

“I never would have anticipated that going through cancer treatment would feel like working five full-time jobs at once!” she said.

WATCH: When to consider a mastectomy?

A mastectomy is the removal of the entire breast during surgery. There are several factors to weigh when considering a mastectomy, such as whether breast-conserving surgery (or lumpectomy) is possible. Your doctor will evaluate the size and features of your tumor and your family history to make a recommendation.

In some cases, a double mastectomy is a viable treatment option. During this procedure, both breasts are removed to get rid of cancer. A double mastectomy may also be performed as a preventative measure for women who are at a very high risk of developing breast cancer.

Miranda’s Treatment Spawned Early Menopause

McKeon’s breast cancer is hormone-receptive, meaning it needs the hormones estrogen and/or progesterone to grow and thrive. To combat this, doctors may want to lower a patient’s estrogen levels to help slow the growth of the cancer or prevent it from returning.

The treatment McKeon is taking, Lupron (generic name leuprolide), is a hormone therapy shot that aims to reduce her estrogen levels so her cancer does not grow.

“This shot is what keeps me in medically induced menopause. What it does is quiet the ovaries…Lupron keeps them quiet like a little baby and lets the chemotherapy pass over without doing a ton of damage,” McKeon explained.

WATCH: Understanding hormone therapy for breast cancer.

Lupron (generic name leuprorelin) is a type of hormone therapy for breast cancer. It acts as an ovarian suppression drug that stops the ovaries from making the hormone estrogen.

Lupron is usually given by injection into a muscle once a month or every three to six months. The length of treatment varies, and your doctor can determine that information.

Some known side effects of Lupron may include tiredness or fatigue, hot flashes, spotting, and muscle or joint pain.

Hormone therapy is used for hormone receptor-positive cancers. When a tumor is “hormone receptor-positive,” it means tests reveal the cancer is positive for either the estrogen and/or progesterone receptor. Cancers of this type need estrogen and/or progesterone to grow.

Her treatment helped her reach remission, though she continues treatment to offset recurrence.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may have questions about keeping your strength through treatment. Here are a few questions to help you begin the conversation with your doctor:

• What treatment will I be receiving?
• What side effects are associated with this treatment?
• Are there steps I can take daily to help minimize these side effects?
• What physical activity routine do you recommend for me during treatment?
• Do you have recommendations for someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy exercise?
• Can you recommend a dietician who can help me with healthy eating tips and weight maintenance?
• I’ve been having trouble sleeping. Do you have any treatment recommendations?

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