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Increased use of antibiotics doubles the risk of breast cancer

Physician Practice Advisor, February 18, 2004

Women who exceed an average of 25 prescriptions for antibiotics in their lifetimes double their chances of developing breast cancer, according to a study from the University of Washington in Seattle published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study followed 10,219 women in a group health plan for 17 years, and looked at prescription records maintained by the health plan.

Although researchers said that additional studies would be needed to determine whether the increased breast cancer risk was caused by the antibiotics or the conditions that the antibiotics were used to treat, researches did conclude that the results validated the need for physicians to continue to prescribe antibiotics sparingly.

Visit The Journal of the American Medical Association for a link to the study.

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