The use of antiestrogen supplements in women with breast cancer may decrease the risk for melanoma, according to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Data from 7360 women with breast cancer between 1980 and 2005 were analyzed by Christine Bouchardy, MD, PhD, professor at the University of Geneva and head of the Geneva Cancer Registry, and colleagues. Antiestrogen therapy was given to 54% of these women.
The researchers followed the patients until 2008. During this period, 34 melanoma cases were recorded. For those patients who did not receive antiestrogen therapy, risk for melanoma was 60% higher compared with patients who did receive antiestrogen therapy.
The increased focus on the role of estrogen in breast cancer has generated questions regarding what role estrogen is playing in other cancers, according to Bouchardy.
“These data reinforce the hypothesis that estrogens play a role in melanoma occurrence,” she said. This role may be due to the relationship between estrogens and increased levels of melanocytes and melanin production in the skin, which have been linked to early-stage melanoma, Bouchardy added. However, she cautioned against general antiestrogen supplementation for the prevention of melanoma in the general population.
“These results need to be replicated in other studies, particularly given the numerous side effects linked to this kind of drug,” said Bouchardy.
Source: AACR.