Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41423616›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Antibiotic use and survival from breast cancer: A population-based cohort study in England and Wales.

Chris R Cardwell, Sarah M Baxter, Andrew Jhl Snelling, Daniel Tzu-Hsuan Chen, Emma C Atakpa, Úna McMenamin, Stuart A McIntosh, Blánaid Hicks, Carol Ac Coupland, Aaron J Brady and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Chris R CardwellCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. c.cardwell@qub.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2689-4335
Sarah M BaxterCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5762-0396
Andrew Jhl SnellingWolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2882-2079
Daniel Tzu-Hsuan ChenNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9849-4966
Emma C AtakpaNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Úna McMenaminCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
Stuart A McIntoshBreast Surgery Department, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4123-9611
Blánaid HicksCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
Carol Ac CouplandWolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Aaron J BradyBelfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
Finian J BannonCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
Julia Hippisley-CoxWolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.

Funding

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) PRCPJT-Nov22/100017
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The role of the gut microbiota in carcinogenesis is increasingly being acknowledged. Recent studies in multiple breast cancer mouse models have found that antibiotics, by altering the gut microbiota, can accelerate tumour growth. In humans, a recent cohort study restricted to triple negative breast cancer showed that breast cancer patients using a greater number of antibiotics had markedly worse survival. These studies have raised concerns about repeated antibiotic use in breast cancer patients. In this Registered Report, we investigated whether breast cancer patients using oral antibiotics had increased breast cancer-specific mortality. In population-based cohorts (n = 44,452), we did not observe a statistically significant association between antibiotic prescriptions after diagnosis and breast cancer-specific mortality (adjusted HR = 1.07 95% CI 0.87, 1.33) apart from prescriptions of 12 or more antibiotics (adjusted HR = 1.62 95% CI 1.31, 2.01). This association was weaker after adjustment for infections (adjusted HR = 1.44 95% 1.14, 1.81), when restricted to antibiotics within five years (adjusted HR = 1.33 95% 0.95, 1.84), and was similar for deaths from other causes (adjusted HR = 1.69 95% 1.19, 2.41). Frequent antibiotic users had higher cancer-specific mortality but the attenuation of associations in sensitivity analyses, and similar findings for other causes of death, suggest this increase may reflect residual confounding. Protocol registration: The Stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 7 November 2023. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24746721.v1 .

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsBreast NeoplasmsAdultAgedCohort StudiesEnglandFemaleGastrointestinal MicrobiomeHumansMiddle AgedWalesAnti-Bacterial Agents

Identifiers

PMID41423616
PMCPMC12722697

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.