Abortion linked to breast cancer, study finds
The Ottawa Citizen Mon 14 Aug 2000
Thomas Stuttaford

LONDON -- Having an abortion could increase the chance of developing breast cancer by as much as 30 per cent, an American study has found.

A survey by Prof. Joel Brind, of City University in New York, reviewed 28 studies into breast cancer in the United States. The survey has shown a statistical association between a woman having an induced abortion and later developing the disease.

The conclusion was that 24,500 cases of breast cancer in America were linked to pregnancy terminations. About a third of women in the United States have a pregnancy terminated before they are 45.

Mr. Brind also found that there does not seem to be a similar increase in the likelihood of developing breast cancer after a miscarriage.

Different studies have suggested that between a third and a fifth of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage. This figure is very much higher than it was 20 or 30 years ago when early pregnancy diagnostic tools were not as efficient as they are now.

The medical community accepts that assessing a woman's hormonal status is probably the most important clue when determining her chances of developing breast cancer.

Factors such as diet, weight, menstrual history, breastfeeding habits, alcohol intake, the number of pregnancies and also the woman's family history also affect a woman's chances of developing breast cancer.