Risk of breast cancer was 21% lower in premenopausal women with a history of migraine and 26% lower in postmenopausal migraineurs than in those without a clinical migraine diagnosis, Christopher I. Li, MD, PhD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and colleagues found.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 9 (MedPage Today) -- The reduced risk of breast cancer seen in women with migraines appears to hold regardless of menopausal status and exposure to migraine risk factors, a large study affirmed.
That smaller population-based study revealed 33% lower risk of ductal carcinoma and 32% lower risk of lobular carcinoma in women with migraines.
Many women diagnosed with breast cancer have no known risk factors, and reduced risk doesn't mean no risk, she noted.
Both breast cancer and migraine have a hormonal component, making the association biologically plausible, Dr. Li's group said.
The breast cancer risk reduction was similar for postmenopausal women (OR 0.74 for migraine history, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.87) and premenopausal women (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.93).
The association was seen across races (OR 0.77 with migraine history in white women and OR 0.67 in black women).
In an analysis restricted to women without exposure to migraine triggers that are also related to breast cancer risk, the results were similar for:
Primary source: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention Source reference: Li CI, et al "Relationship between migraine history and breast cancer risk among premenopausal and postmenopausal women" Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009; 18: 2030-34.
Breast Cancer Risk Lower for Women with Migraine
The research reviewed here found that women diagnosed with migraine headaches were 26% less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women never diagnosed with migraines.
Breast cancer risk was 26% lower in post-menopausal women and 21% lower in pre-menopausal women who had been diagnosed with migraines, compared to those who had not.
The risks of both ductal and lobular breast cancer were reduced in migraine sufferers.
The lower breast cancer risk among women with a history of migraines was not linked to any medications the migraine sufferers may have received for their migraines.
The lower risk of breast cancer among migraine sufferers was seen regardless of a woman's race.
The researchers looked at a number of factors that are known to both trigger migraines and to increase breast cancer risk. More info about Abnormal Mammogram
This research found that a history of migraines mostly lowered the risk of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers, compared to hormone-receptor-negative breast cancers. This fact led the researchers to think that estrogen may, at least in part, explain the link between migraines and reduced breast cancer risk.
Estrogen can promote the development and the growth of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer cells. Doctors also have seen a link between estrogen levels and migraine headaches in women. A better understanding of the link between migraines and breast cancer risk could help doctors improve their understanding of how breast cancer happens, and could possibly help them identify better ways to prevent or treat breast cancer in the future.
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