Migraines associated with lower risk of breast cancer
Women who suffer from migraines may take at least some comfort in a recent, first-of-its-kind study that suggests a history of such headaches is associated with a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report these findings in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. "We found that, overall, women who had a history of migraines had a 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who did not have a history of such headaches," said Li, a breast-cancer epidemiologist and associate member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division.
In particular, migraine history appeared to reduce the risk of the most common subtypes of breast cancer: those that are estrogen-receptor and/or progesterone-receptor positive. Such tumors have estrogen and/or progesterone receptors, or docking sites, on the surface of their cells, which makes them more responsive to hormone-blocking drugs than tumors that lack such receptors.
The biological mechanism behind the association between migraines and breast cancer is not fully known, but Li and colleagues suspect that it has to do with fluctuations in levels of circulating hormones.
"Migraines seem to have a hormonal component in that they occur more frequently in women than in men, and some of their known triggers are associated with hormones," Li said. "For example, women who take oral contraceptives – three weeks of active pills and one week of inactive pills to trigger menstruation – tend to suffer more migraines during their hormone-free week," he said. Conversely, pregnancy – a high-estrogen state – is associated with a significant decrease in migraines. "By the third trimester of pregnancy, 80 percent of migraine sufferers do not have these episodes," he said. Estrogen is known to stimulate the growth of hormonally sensitive breast cancer.
While this study represents the first of its kind to look at a potential connection between migraines and breast cancer, Li and colleagues have data from two other studies that in preliminary analyses appear to confirm these findings, he said.
"While these results need to be interpreted with caution, they point to a possible new factor that may be related to breast-cancer risk. This gives us a new avenue to explore the biology behind risk reduction. Hopefully this could help stimulate other ideas and extend what we know about the biology of the disease."
For the study, the researchers combined data from two population-based, case-control studies of 3,412 Seattle-area postmenopausal women, 1,938 of whom had been diagnosed with breast cancer and 1,474 of whom had no history of breast cancer, who served as a comparison group. Information on migraine history was based on self-report and was limited to migraines that had been diagnosed by a physician or other health professional.
Source: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Articles on the same topic
- New technology could revolutionize breast cancer screeningWed, 12 Nov 2008, 4:23:47 UTC
- New technique to study the genetics of breast cancerTue, 11 Nov 2008, 16:15:18 UTC
- Risk assessment tool not reliable predictor for some women at high risk of breast cancerWed, 5 Nov 2008, 20:57:07 UTC
- UNC Lineberger launches 44-county study of breast cancer in black womenFri, 31 Oct 2008, 4:07:59 UTC
- Vigorous activity protects against breast cancerThu, 30 Oct 2008, 23:35:50 UTC
Other sources
- New Technique To Study The Genetics Of Breast Cancerfrom Science DailyWed, 12 Nov 2008, 23:14:44 UTC
- Scientists explain why breast cancer drug meets resistancefrom PhysorgWed, 12 Nov 2008, 18:49:22 UTC
- Study clears fertility treatment of causing breast cancerfrom The Guardian - ScienceWed, 12 Nov 2008, 18:28:58 UTC
- Key 'switch' found for popular breast cancer drugfrom AP ScienceWed, 12 Nov 2008, 18:21:09 UTC
- Key 'switch' found for popular breast cancer drugfrom AP HealthWed, 12 Nov 2008, 18:07:10 UTC
- New technology could revolutionize breast cancer screeningfrom PhysorgWed, 12 Nov 2008, 14:42:39 UTC
- New Technology Could Revolutionize Breast Cancer Screeningfrom Science DailyWed, 12 Nov 2008, 4:21:34 UTC
- Calcium, vitamin D not linked to reduced breast cancer risk: studyfrom CBC: HealthTue, 11 Nov 2008, 21:14:14 UTC
- New technique to study the genetics of breast cancerfrom PhysorgTue, 11 Nov 2008, 17:07:36 UTC
- Migraines associated with lower risk of breast cancerfrom Science BlogSun, 9 Nov 2008, 3:42:25 UTC
- Migraines Associated With Lower Risk Of Breast Cancerfrom Science DailySat, 8 Nov 2008, 21:07:56 UTC
- Migraines Associated With Lower Risk Of Breast Cancerfrom Science DailyFri, 7 Nov 2008, 1:28:36 UTC
- Migraines linked to lower breast cancer risk: studyfrom CBC: HealthThu, 6 Nov 2008, 18:14:19 UTC
- Migraines cut breast cancer risk 30 percent: studyfrom Reuters:ScienceThu, 6 Nov 2008, 17:42:07 UTC
- Migraines associated with lower risk of breast cancerfrom PhysorgThu, 6 Nov 2008, 14:21:32 UTC
- Migraines associated with lower risk of breast cancerfrom Science BlogThu, 6 Nov 2008, 14:14:21 UTC
- Migraines Cut Breast Cancer Riskfrom Live ScienceThu, 6 Nov 2008, 13:28:37 UTC
- Do Migraines Lower Breast Cancer Risk?from Scientific AmericanThu, 6 Nov 2008, 5:35:16 UTC
- Vigorous Activity Protects Against Breast Cancer, Study Showsfrom Science DailyMon, 3 Nov 2008, 15:28:15 UTC
- Vigorous activity protects against breast cancerfrom PhysorgFri, 31 Oct 2008, 11:07:33 UTC
- Exercise may protect against breast cancerfrom UPIThu, 30 Oct 2008, 23:21:16 UTC
- Vigorous exercise protects against breast cancer, new research saysfrom CBC: HealthThu, 30 Oct 2008, 23:07:06 UTC