Breast cancer: Menopause herb spreads tumours

12 November 2008

Women with breast cancer may be spreading the disease if they are also taking a herb for menopausal hot flushes.

Researchers have found that the herb black cohosh – a popular remedy for treating menopausal flushes – spreads cancer around the body. Although it doesn’t cause cancer, it increases the risk of secondary lung tumours by 25 per cent, researchers found in an experiment with mice.

(Source: Cancer Research, 2008; 68: 8377-83).

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