Is it true that antibiotics can cause breast cancer?

A recent study has shown that use of antibiotics is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. The researchers found that the more antibiotics the women in the study used, the higher their risk of breast cancer.

The women who took antibiotics for more than 500 days over an average of 17 years had twice the breast cancer risk as women who took no antibiotics. This also was true for women who had more than 25 prescriptions for antibiotics during that time. Women who had between one and 25 prescriptions over that time were one-and-a-half times more likely to get breast cancer.

The results of this study do not mean that antibiotics cause breast cancer. They only show that there may be a link between the two. More studies must be done to find out whether antibiotics do indeed cause breast cancer.

The results of this study also do not mean that women should stop taking antibiotics. It is appropriate to use antibiotics to treat bacterial infections. However, antibiotics should not be used inappropriately; they should not be used for colds, the flu, and other viral infections. People should talk with their doctor about whether their illness is caused by a bacteria or virus and whether an antibiotic might be helpful.

For more information on breast cancer risk, call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 800-4-CANCER.

choose back button for more from this category, or below for CIS index