Aug 10, 2009 7:39 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Breastfeeding May Lower Cancer Risk
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Women around the world develop breast cancer more than any other malignancy. Family history is one of the most serious risk factors that we know. Now, for new moms with a family history of the illness, a new study shows there's a way they can reduce their risk and benefit their children as well.
Rachel Roper, 33, is five and half months pregnant and wants to make sure she's around to raise her baby girl. "I have a strong family history. My mom passed away at 42 from breast cancer," she said.
A new study shows that such women can reduce their risk of getting breast cancer before menopause if they breast feed.
"If they had ever breastfed, their risk was 59 percent lower of developing breast cancer than if they had never breastfed their children," said Dr. Alison Stuebe, OB/GYN.
The study, published in archives of internal medicine, followed 60,000 mothers for eight years. It found the length of time a women breastfed did not matter.
Also, there was no major decrease in risk for women who exclusively breastfed versus women who supplemented breastmilk with formula and other food.
"There is something specific about the biology of developing breast cancer when you have a genetic predisposition that is affected by breast feeding," Stuebe said.
Cancer experts said breastfeeding would be a great preventative step for any new mom.
"It's something active that they can do even when they are young to potentially modify their risk of developing breast cancer," said Dr. Freya Schnabel, director of breast surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center.
Rachel sees Dr. Schnabel to explore her options for keeping cancer at bay, and says nursing her child is now more important than ever.
"I'm really excited. This is all I wanted to do, was breastfeed my child," Roper said.
It's a healthy decision for both mother and baby.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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