Breast-feeding dramatically cuts cancer risk in some women, study finds

August 11, 2009

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has found that breast-feeding led to a 59% reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer for women with an immediate relative who had suffered from breast cancer. “Though breast-feeding is promoted primarily because it is linked to better health in babies, mothers seem to accrue long-term advantages,” The New York Times reports. “Studies have found that women who breast-fed are less likely to develop osteoporosis and ovarian cancer, as well as high blood pressure and heart disease decades later.”

 

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Further information:

• Breast-Feeding Linked to Lower Cancer Risk (New York Times)
• Lactation and Incidence of Premenopausal Breast Cancer: A Longitudinal Study (Archives of Internal Medicine)