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Iran Study: Abortion Boosts Breast Cancer Risk 193% Study Finds, Giving Birth Lowers Risk (MO, 4/10) |
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Iran Study: Abortion Boosts Breast Cancer Risk 193% Study Finds, Giving Birth Lowers Risk
Researchers in Iran have published the results of a new study showing
women who have an abortion face a 193% increased risk of breast cancer.
On the other hand, women who carry a pregnancy to term find a lowered
breast cancer risk compared with women who have never been pregnant.
The study follows on the heels of new reports indicating Komen for the
Cure gave $7.5 million to the Planned Parenthood abortion business in
2009. [see this article on this webpage]
The findings were reported in the April 3, 2010 issue of Medical Oncology but are coming to the public's attention only now.
Hajian-Tilaki K.O. and Kaveh-Ahangar T. from Babol University of Medical
Sciences compared 100 cases of women who were newly diagnosed with
breast cancer compared with 200 age-matched controls to review several
reproductive factors.
The researchers discovered abortion significantly elevated breast cancer
risks. Also, having a first pregnancy at an older age increases the
breast cancer risk by 310 percent -- which has implications for women
who have relied on birth control and delayed a first pregnancy until
later in life.
The Iranian scientists also confirmed what other studies have found,
namely that increasing parity or the number of births reduces the breast
cancer risk significantly.
Reporting on the study, the FoodConsumer web site indicated women with
parity equal to or greater than 5 reduced their breast cancer risk by 91
percent compared with women who had never been pregnant and not given
birth. Each additional birth also reduced the breast cancer risk by 50
percent.
The Iranian study came just before another research study conducted by
scientists in Sri Lanka, which found women who had an abortion in the
past were 242 percent more likely to contract breast cancer.
That study was published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology and found a
3.42 odds ratio against women having abortions compared with those who
kept their baby.
Abortion was the most significant factor in the study on breast cancer
risk and researchers found a significantly reduced risk associated with
prolonged duration of breastfeeding a newborn.
Malintha De Silva and colleagues from the University of Colombo led the study.
Combined with the Iranian study and others from the U.S., China and
Turkey, five studies in the last 18 months have shown abortion elevates
breast cancer risk.
In the one from the United States, Louise Brinton, a NCI branch chief, served as co-author.
She and her colleagues admitted that "...induced abortion and oral
contraceptive use were associated with increased risk of breast cancer."
The authors cited a statistically significant 40% increased risk of
breast cancer following an abortion.
"It's becoming increasingly difficult for the NCI to keep its fingers
and toes in the dike," said Malec, "especially since many researchers in
other parts of the world do not depend on the agency for grants."
[13 October 2010, Babol, Iran, http://www.lifenews.com/int1665.html ]
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Abortion 
