"Antibiotic Use in Relation to the Risk
of Breast Cancer," C.M. Velicer, et al., Journal of the American Medical
Association 2004; 291: 827-835

Velicer, et al., reported that the "Use of antibiotics is associated with
increased risk of incident and fatal breast cancer."

Copyright 2004, James Michael Howard, Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S.A.

It is my hypothesis (1994) that low dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may trigger
oncogenes and that high testosterone may reduce DHEA, therefore increasing the
probability of cancer.  Both of these have since received support.  For example,
hormone replacement therapy decreases DHEA and HRT has been found to increase
the incidence of breast cancer.  Also, consumption of ethanol by women increases
testosterone; alcohol consumption by women has been connected with increased
breast cancer.  ("How 'Hormone Replacement Therapy' (HRT) May Cause Breast
Cancer" at www.anthropogeny.com/research.html .)

It is known that DHEA exerts protective effects against many forms of
infections, including bacteria.  I suggest the connection of increased breast
cancer in women who have required antibiotics is low DHEA.  That is, low DHEA in
these women reduced their immune response which subsequently required the aid of
antibiotics.  I suggest the increased incidence of breast cancer in these women
is reduced DHEA, not antibiotics.

James Michael Howard
www.anthropogeny.com