Migraine History Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Risk
Christopher Li, MD, PhD, a breast cancer epidemiologist, recently led a study in regards to previous research which showed that both premenopausal and postmenopausal women with a history of migraines also have a lower risk of developing breast cancer. The study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention (2009;18[7]:2030-2034).
The study included over 4500 women between the ages of 34 and 64 from 5 metropolitan areas who were diagnosed with breast cancer, and found a 26% reduced risk of breast cancer among those who had a previous diagnosis of migraines.
Unlike the initial study, none of the women included in this study ever drank or smoked, nor did they take hormones. This suggests that the migraine link is the only factor that made a significant difference.
Scientists still don’t know exactly what it is about migraines that offers the The press release announcing the study points out that what remains unknown is how migraine confers its apparent protection against breast cancer. “We know that migraine is definitely related to hormones and that’s why we started looking at this in the first place,” Dr Li said. “We have different ideas about what may be going on but it’s unclear exactly what the biological mechanisms are.”
Dr Li’s research group is currently conducting a follow-up investigation and have submitted a third study for publication reporting that the link between migraines and reduced breast cancer risk remains despite the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.