Women are being warned that too much alcohol can increase their chances of developing breast cancer.

A Department of Health report, which has yet to be published, found women who drank more than 14 units of alcohol per week were 50 per cent more likely to get breast cancer.

A £10 million advertising campaign is being launched aimed at middle aged women who drink large glasses of wine and underestimate how much alcohol they have actually consumed.

Stronger wine, varying from 9 per cent to 13 per cent, and larger glasses, have led to confusion over how many units drinkers consume.

A large glass of wine can contain as much as 3.5 units of alcohol.

According to Cancer Research, alcohol is the cause of around 2,000 cases of breast cancer each year.

Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: 'Women who regularly drink too much are 50 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer. And many drink too much simply because they have no idea how many alcohol units they are consuming.'

'Professional women who drink too much - but do so without causing harm to others - have for a long time gone under the radar.

'It's fair to say that most women don't know how much they're drinking.

'They don't know how many units they are drinking. And don't know that, at 3.5 units, that large glass of Rioja they drank last night actually took them over their daily amount.'

Health risks for women who binge drink also include a greater risk of liver disease, unplanned pregnancies and ruptured bladders.