ADVERTISEMENT

Late Childbirth Linked to Breast Cancer Risk: Study

Increased breast cancer might last decades after childbirth, the study says.

Updated
Fit
2 min read
Late Childbirth Linked to Breast Cancer Risk: Study
i

The Quint DAILY

For impactful stories you just can’t miss

By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy

Women who had their first child after 35 may be at an increased risk of developing breast cancer than their peers who do not have children, according to a study contrary to conventional wisdom that childbirth is protective against breast cancer.

Besides late childbirth, women who had a family history of breast cancer or who had a greater number of births also had an increased risk for breast cancer after childbirth. The pattern looked the same whether or not women breastfed.

While the risk was higher for women who were older at first birth, there was no increased risk of breast cancer after a recent birth for women who had their first child before 25, said researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) in the US.

ADVERTISEMENT

"This is evidence of the fact that just as breast cancer risk factors for young women can differ from risk factors in older women, there are different types of breast cancer, and the risk factors for developing one type versus another can differ," said Hazel B Nichols, Professor at the UNC.

Although childbirth is still protective against breast cancer, researchers say it can take more than two decades for benefits to emerge.

Breast cancer is more common in older women, with the median age of 62 at diagnosis. But, the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, identified elevated breast cancer risk after childbirth in women younger than 55.

In women 55 years and younger, breast cancer risk peaked about five years after they gave birth, with risk for mothers 80 percent higher compared with women who did not gave birth.

23 years after giving birth, women saw their risk level off, and pregnancy started to become protective.

For their analysis, the team pooled data from 15 prospective studies from around the globe that included 889,944 women. In addition to looking at breast cancer risk after childbirth, they also evaluated the impact of other factors such as breastfeeding and a family history of breast cancer.

The findings could be used to develop better breast cancer risk prediction models to help inform screening decisions and prevention strategies, Nichols said.

(This story was auto-published from a syndicated feed. No part of the story has been edited by The Quint.)

(The Quint is available on Telegram. For handpicked stories every day, subscribe to us on Telegram)

We'll get through this! Meanwhile, here's all you need to know about the Coronavirus outbreak to keep yourself safe, informed, and updated.

Liked this story? We'll send you more. Subscribe to The Quint's newsletter and get selected stories delivered to your inbox every day. Click to get started.

The Quint is available on Telegram & WhatsApp too, click to join.

Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from fit

Topics:  Childbirth   Breast Cancer 

Published: 
Speaking truth to power requires allies like you.
Become a Member
3 months
12 months
12 months
Check Member Benefits
Read More
ADVERTISEMENT
Stay Updated

Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter And Get News Delivered Straight To Your Inbox.

Join over 120,000 subscribers!
ADVERTISEMENT
More News
×
×