Migraines Lower Breast Cancer Risk: Study

(NEWSER) - Finally, some good news for migraine sufferers: Those awful headaches come with a reduced risk of breast cancer, according to a new study. The researchers aren’t sure why that would be the case, but they suspect a connection with estrogen and other hormones. “It’s pretty clear that migraine, like breast cancer, is a hormonally related disease,” said one. “Many triggers for migraine are also things that reduce estrogen levels.” More»

Post-menopausal treatments make cancer more deadly

(NEWSER) - Women who take hormone treatments after menopause are not only more likely to get cancer, but more likely to die from it, according to a new study. Doctors already knew that certain hormone pills increased the risk of cancer, but the study, which followed 12,788 women, found that the cancer is also more likely to be advanced and deadly, the New York Times explains. The risks aren’t fully understood, but part of the problem is likely that increased breast density makes tumors harder to spot. More»

(AP) - Being fat could become the leading cause of cancer in women in Western countries in the coming years, say European researchers. Being overweight or obese accounts for up to 8% of cancers in Europe. That figure is poised to increase substantially as the obesity epidemic continues, and as major causes of cancer, such as smoking, drop. Colorectal cancer, breast cancer in menopausal women, and endometrial cancer accounted for 65% of all cancers linked to being fat. More»

Italian researchers discover stress of extra-marital affairs can lead to fatal headaches

(NEWSER) - Deadly migraines can be caused by cheating on one’s spouse, the Telegraph reports. An Italian study found that the devastating headaches can turn fatal when coupled with an extra-marital affair. Migraines “can be exacerbated by a series of factors like aphrodisiac food, performance-enhancing drugs, physical strain and psychological stress caused by the need to keep the relationship secret,” a researcher said. More»

Even casual drinking heightens breast cancer risk 3-fold, researchers say

(NEWSER) - Postmenopausal women who drink casually while taking hormones will raise their chance of getting breast cancer, researchers said today. A Danish study of 5,000 women showed that those on estrogen and other hormones increased breast cancer risk three-fold by downing one or two drinks a day; a third drink or more raised the risk by almost 5 times. More»