Sleep and breast cancer diagnosis

Having poor sleep before diagnosis is linked to poorer diagnoses for women with breast cancer.

Breast cancer patients who had poor sleep and frequent snoring before their cancer diagnosis appear to have lower survival rates, a new study finds.

The study, which was not designed to prove cause-and-effect, included more than 18,000 cancer patients whose progress was tracked in the Women's Health Initiative study.

All of the women provided information about a number of aspects of their sleep prior to their cancer diagnosis, including the amount of sleep they got, whether or not they snored, and any history of insomnia.

Researchers led by Amanda Phipps, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle, found that women who slept 6 hours or less per night and were frequent snorers had more than twice the odds of a poor prognosis compared to women with neither of those factors.

A similar finding was seen for women with lung cancer, although the effect was not as large as was seen in women with breast cancer, the study authors said.

The study was published online in the journal Sleep and was also presented June 10 at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle.

"Our results suggest that sleep duration is important for breast cancer survival, particularly in women who snore," Phipps said in a journal news release.

Two breast cancer experts were cautious in interpreting the study results, however.

"At first glance it seems as though recommending more sleep could be of benefit [to breast cancer patients]," said Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "However, one must remember that perhaps the factors that allow women to have more restful sleep -- such as healthier lifestyle or lower amounts of stress -- are the real reasons women who sleep well have better breast cancer outcomes."

Dr. Charles Shapiro co-directs the Dubin Breast Center at the Mount Sinai Hospital, also in New York City. "Sleep patterns often get disrupted, and insomnia is prevalent, in women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer and other cancers," he said.

"Precisely why insomnia is prevalent in cancer populations is unknown, but there are many potential causes including depression, anxiety, fatigue and [other issues] such as hot flashes," Shapiro added.

But he agreed with Bernik that "important factors like depression and obesity, known to be associated with increased breast cancer mortality, were not assessed [in the study]," and they could be the link between sleeplessness and breast cancer outcomes.

"Insomnia is a common but under-recognized and undertreated problem among breast cancer survivors," Shapiro said, "but whether it actually causes increased cancer deaths is unknown and we need a lot more information before we make that link."

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Study: No link between migraines and breast cancer risk

A study found no association between migraine headaches and breast cancer risk in women.

A large, new study should reassure the millions of American women who have migraine: The debilitating headaches don't raise the risk for breast cancer.

"There is no association between migraine and breast cancer risk," said lead researcher Rulla Tamimi, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "There is no positive association, so there is no reason for concern, and there is no protective effect either."

About 18 percent of American women and 6 percent of men suffer from migraine, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. Migraine is a syndrome involving severe headaches that are often accompanied by visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to sound and light. Attacks can last from four to 72 hours.

The idea that migraine and breast cancer might be connected arose because both involve sex hormone levels, Tamimi explained.

"We don't really understand the cause of migraines, but there has been a suggestion that they may be triggered by hormone levels," she said. "We know that hormone levels are also associated with breast cancer, so perhaps there could be a link between migraine and breast cancer."

But the report -- based on more than 100,000 women -- observed no association between migraine and breast cancer or migraine and female sex hormones, Tamimi said. The findings were published Dec. 12 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The research data, which included analysis of four other studies, hinted that migraine might even lower the risk for breast cancer, but that appeared to be a result of study design and not necessarily a real link, the researchers said.

Dr. Mark Green, a professor of neurology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, said that the idea that migraines might be protective against breast cancer is intriguing.

"There is a suggestion that migraine is linked to a lower incidence of breast cancer. However, the numbers were small, and it's not appropriate to suggest that yet, but it's an interesting idea," said Green, who was not involved with the study.

Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, discussed the study's significance: "In the ongoing quest to find out what contributes to the causes of cancer, sometimes a negative association can also shed light on the subject," she said. "This study will give relief to many migraine sufferers, and give them one less thing to worry about."

The study relied on data on over 115,000 women who took part in the Nurses' Health Study II, about 18,000 of whom suffered from migraine. Over 20 years of follow-up, no association with breast cancer was observed.

Tamimi's team also looked at the levels of sex hormones of about 2,000 premenopausal women and found no link between hormone levels and migraines.

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HELP US FREE YOUR GENES! Important for Anyone Touched by Cancer or Genetic Illness

The decreasing cost of genetic testing can allow laboratories to provide more affordable options for everyone...

But the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted patents on over 20% of human genes, and these unconstitutional gene patents will prevent this freedom, making it difficult or impossible for many to know their risks.

HELP US FREE YOUR GENES!

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Genetic testing is one of the most important tools available for understanding individual risks for cancer and other diseases.

Identifying DNA changes within specific genes gives patients and their doctors power to make proactive decisions to prevent and manage their health.

BRCA1 & BRCA2 genes encode essential molecules that help damaged DNA.

These genes, if mutated, are major risk factors for the onset of Breast & Ovarian cancer.

Through the genetic test, physicians and patients can begin early preventative care and observations prior to development of cancer. The test is non-invasive and requires just a cheek swab.