|
|
Article: Melatonin and breast cancer: a prospective study.(Abstracts of Interest)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Original Internist
- Article date:
- June 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Original Internist, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
This prospective study, published in the March 17, 2004 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, seeks to examine the relationship between melatonin levels and breast cancer risk. The authors report that earlier animal research suggested a protective role for melatonin in the development of breast cancer, but the few human studies that were performed showed inconsistent findings. In this study, the researchers examined 24-hour 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels--the main urinary metabolite of melatonin--of the women who were enrolled. Levels of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin in 127 patients diagnosed with breast cancer were compared to 353 matched controls. The researchers ...