August 11th, 2009 
Von According to a study in the July 2009 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, women who have migraine headaches may have a reduced risk for breast cancer.
Both migraine and breast cancer are medical conditions that are mediated by hormones, so it is possible that women with a history of migraine may have a reduced risk of breast cancer. Until now, this potential relationship has only been examined in one relatively small study. Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington and their colleagues analyzed 4,568 breast cancer cases and 4.678 controls who participated in a multicenter study. They obtained migraine history from in-person interviews and found that women with a history of migraine had a 26% reduced risk for breast cancer.
It is not clear how migraine history affects breast cancer risk, but the researchers suggest that, in addition to fluctuations in levels of circulating hormones, the medications used to treat or prevent migraine may play a role in breast cancer risk reduction. However, further studies are needed to examine this relationship.
Source:
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18:2030-2034.
Created on: 08/07/2009
Reviewed on: 08/07/2009
Reviewed on: 08/07/2009
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