Women who receive treatment for breast cancer may also enjoy some protection against the skin cancer melanoma, according to new findings.
Research in Geneva, Switzerland, has found that women who take anti-oestrogen drugs, such as Tamoxifen, enjoy a reduced risk of developing the skin cancer.
The findings come from a study of more than 7,000 women who developed breast cancer over a 25 year period. Some 54 per cent of these were treated with anti-oestrogen therapy.
They found that 34 of the women developed melanoma – and that the risk of developing the disease was 60 per cent greater among those who did not receive anti-oestrogen treatment compared with those who did.
The findings have been reported in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.
One possible explanation is that oestrogen helps increase levels of producing of the darkening agent melanin in the skin.
Researcher Professor Christine Bouchardy, of the University of Geneva, said: "These results need to be replicated in other studies, particularly given the numerous side effects linked to this kind of drug."
Cancer Prevention Research January 2012 5; 82; doi: 10.1158/1940-6207
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