Antipsychotic drugs that increase prolactin levels have been shown to have a significant association with a heightened risk for breast cancer among women with schizophrenia in a new research. However, one expert states that currently, the clinical implications seem premature.

Data from Finnish nationwide registers on over 30,000 women with schizophrenia was compared. A total of 1069 of these were diagnosed with breast cancer. Long-term exposure to the prolactin-increasing antipsychotic agents was tied to a 56% increase in the risk of developing breast cancer compared to short-term exposure. There appeared to be no significant association with cumulative exposure to prolactin-sparing antipsychotic drugs. The findings are published in The Lancet… (Medscape)