Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. The lifetime prevalence of breast cancer is about 12%, but in patients with schizophrenia it is 25% more common than in the general population. Since a high concentration of prolactin is associated with a higher risk for the development of breast cancer, a study in Finland from 2021 investigated whether exposure to prolactin-increasing antipsychotics contributes to increased odds of breast cancer.1
“As long-term exposure to prolactin-increasing antipsychotics might increase the risk of breast cancer in women with schizophrenia, antipsychotics without prolactin-increasing properties should be considered as a first-line long-term treatment for female patients”
Heidi Taipale, Marco Solmi, Markku Lähteenvuo, Antti Tanskanen,
Christoph U Correll, Jari Tiihonen, The Lancet Psychiatry, Oct 01, 2021.
Christoph U Correll, Jari Tiihonen, The Lancet Psychiatry, Oct 01, 2021.
References title
- Taipale H, Solmi M, Lähteenvuo M, et al. Antipsychotic use and risk of breast cancer in women with schizophrenia: a nationwide nested case-control study in Finland. Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8(10):883-891. doi:10.1016/ S2215-0366(21)00241-8
