New Research on Breastfeeding & Cancer Prevention

This just came out today.  There’s new research on the connection between breastfeeding and preventing cancer.  A woman with a family history of breast cancer might lower her own risk for the disease if she breastfeeds her children.  Researchers from the University of North Carolina reviewed data on about 60 thousand women, and what they found is striking to me.  They discovered that for women with a family history of breast cancer, nursing led to a 60% decreased risk for developing pre-menopausal breast cancer.  That’s a big cut in your risk.  Researchers say it is similar to taking the cancer drug tamoxifen for five years.  Plus—researchers say it didn’t matter how long women breastfed.  Three months or three years yielded the same results.

Hmmmm…another reason to breastfeed.  I’m a big supporter of breastfeeding, but I’ve never been one to judge another mom for the decisions she makes.  What do you think about this new research?

I have read of previous studies that showed a relationship between longer duration of breastfeeding and decreased risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer.  Estrogen levels come into play with breast cancer, and nursing suppresses estrogen and progesterone (which is also why women’s periods stay away for a while during breastfeeding).  The family history factor interests me, because many women get tested for the breast cancer gene(s), and have elective mastectomies.  If they do this before having a child, they will eliminate their ability to breastfeed. Perhaps knowing that breastfeeding their babies could decrease the risk by that much, some women will not go through the physical, spiritual and emotional ordeal of a preventive double mastectomy.

Definitely gives you yet another reason to breastfeed!!

Wow, this is certainly shocking news. I’ve always heard that breastfeeding is better, but this certainly closes the deal for me and my child!