Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington Public Health Sciences Program have shown that women with histories of migraines are less likely to develop breast cancer.
The relationship between migraines and breast cancer had previously only been looked at in a single relatively small study that was unable to assess the effect of migraine triggers, such as alcohol consumption and hormone therapy, which are also well-established breast cancer risk factors.
The more recent study compared data from 4568 women with breast cancer and 4678 healthy women using in-person interviews. Women with histories of migraines were found to have a 26% lower risk of breast cancer, taking other factors into account such as migraine triggers, menopause, and prescription drugs.
Estrogen may be a key factor as low levels of the hormone seem to increase the severity and frequency of migraines and higher levels are known to raise breast cancer risk.
The results of the study were published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research.
