Fertility in relation to the risk of breast cancer.

Journal article

All studies reported here, like our own, support the view that the higher risk of breast cancer in women having a late first birth is attributable to early pregnancy itself having a direct protective effect against the disease, a benefit which they have not experienced. One study, however, has directly examined breast cancer risk in two groups of infertile women - those presumed to have 'progesterone deficiency' and those presumed to have infertility of non hormonal origin. The results suggested that breast cancer risk was increased in premenopausal women (but not in postmenopausal women) with 'progesterone deficiency'. The number of cases of premenopausal breast cancer included in the analysis (11) was, however, very small. In our view, the findings in this study do not weigh heavily against our results and those of others.

Authors: Vessey, M; McPherson, K; Roberts, M; Neil, A; Jones, L

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: British journal of cancer
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 625-628
• Publication date: 1985-10-01
• DOI: 10.1038/bjc.1985.236
• EISSN: 1532-1827
• ISSN: 0007-0920
• Language: English
• Keywords: Fertility; Contraception; Maternal Age; Female; Coitus; Middle Aged; Humans; Breast Neoplasms; Age Factors; Risk