| Principal Investigator: | Diana Buist |
| Co-Investigators: | Susan Heckbert, Christine Velicer, Johanna Lampe, John Potter, Carolyn Rutter |
| Funder: | Gustavus and Louise Pfieffer Foundation |
| Project Dates: | January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2005 |
Summary of findings:
Antibiotic use is associated with increased risk of incident and fatal breast cancer. It cannot be determined from this study whether antibiotic use is causally related to breast cancer, or whether indication for use, overall weakened immune function, or other factors are pertinent underlying exposures. Although, further studies are needed, these findings reinforce the need for prudent long-term antibiotic use.
Publications:
Velicer CM, Heckbert SR, Rutter C, Lampe JW, Malone K. Association between antibiotic prior to breast cancer diagnosis and breast tumor characteristics (United States). Cancer Causes and Control (2006) 17:307-313. Abstract.