Lactation drug cabergoline linked to reduced breast cancer risk after childbirth

Women who take cabergoline, a common drug used to suppress breast milk production after childbirth, show a significantly lower risk of developing breast cancer in the years following pregnancy, according to StudyFinds. RED FM Canada also reported on research indicating that the medication may substantially lower breast cancer risk. [1][2]

StudyFinds reported that a combined analysis of two large European studies revealed women who received cabergoline shortly after giving birth were roughly 69 percent less likely to develop breast cancer compared to those who did not take the drug. Breast cancer diagnosed in the years immediately following pregnancy is typically more aggressive and more difficult to treat than cases diagnosed at other times. [1]

The reduced risk associated with the lactation medication was particularly pronounced among women carrying BRCA1 mutations, StudyFinds reported. While scientists have established that having a child at an early age provides long-term protection against breast cancer, the period directly following childbirth usually carries distinct short-term risks that cabergoline appears to mitigate. [1]