Alcohol consumption has often been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, but a new study published on TIME says that it has no effect on breast cancer survival.

Researchers followed almost 23,000 women who participated in breast cancer risk studies over the span of 11 years. They found that consuming alcohol didn't affect their ability to survive the Big C. In fact, drinking alcohol may even be better for those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, especially since some cancer treatments have been linked to heart disease.

True enough, based on the results, those who drank before they developed breast cancer were 15 percent less likely to develop heart conditions. After their breast cancer diagnosis, those who drank alcohol had a 39 to 50 percent lower incidence of heart-related diseases compared with those who didn't drink.

Although these new findings may be good news to breast cancer patients, this doesn’t mean it's acceptable to go on drinking binges. Everything should be done in moderation, and just to be sure, patients should first consult with their doctors about their alcohol intake.

(Photo by slgckgc via Flickr Creative Commons)