Studies about risk are just that, a risk amongst all the other risks women have in developing cancer. Statistics in studies are tricky to read, interpret and draw conclusions. Clearly the breast cancer abortion controversy is a heated and emotional one. Studies do not consistently support that abortions can cause breast cancer. The Turkish study you cite supports this. "Some previous studies suggested that, induced or spontanous abortions were associated with either increased or decreased risk of breast cancer, or no associations could be found with breast cancer risk for these factors"
In the Turkish study, the authors also indicate that other risk factors have been supported or not supported in past studies about breast cancer. Family history, geographic region, being overweight, smoking, education, breast feeding, use of birth control pills or hormone replacemene. Until recenly, women were told for years that hormone replacement helped protect them from cardiac disease based on previous studies that involved thousands of women. Now women are told hormone replacement can increase their risk of breast cancer, stroke or cardiac disease.
This Turkish study also found that women who take BCPs or hormone replacement had a decreased incidence of breast cancer. So based on the results of their study: Should women avoid abortions but consider taking BCPs or hormone replacement to prevent breast cancer? Of course not, especially since so many other studies dispute this.
This is why interpretation of studies is difficult which is why they are repeated over and over with different groups, locations and ages to really try to hone in on what is causing what. Women need to review all their risk factors that come into play in making their healthcare decisions.
The Turkish study can be found at http://wjso.com/content/7/1/37
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Studies about risk are just that, a risk amongst all the other risks women have in developing cancer. Statistics in studies are tricky to read, interpret and draw conclusions. Clearly the breast cancer abortion controversy is a heated and emotional one. Studies do not consistently support that abortions can cause breast cancer. The Turkish study you cite supports this. "Some previous studies suggested that, induced or spontanous abortions were associated with either increased or decreased risk of breast cancer, or no associations could be found with breast cancer risk for these factors"
In the Turkish study, the authors also indicate that other risk factors have been supported or not supported in past studies about breast cancer. Family history, geographic region, being overweight, smoking, education, breast feeding, use of birth control pills or hormone replacemene. Until recenly, women were told for years that hormone replacement helped protect them from cardiac disease based on previous studies that involved thousands of women. Now women are told hormone replacement can increase their risk of breast cancer, stroke or cardiac disease.
This Turkish study also found that women who take BCPs or hormone replacement had a decreased incidence of breast cancer. So based on the results of their study: Should women avoid abortions but consider taking BCPs or hormone replacement to prevent breast cancer? Of course not, especially since so many other studies dispute this.
This is why interpretation of studies is difficult which is why they are repeated over and over with different groups, locations and ages to really try to hone in on what is causing what. Women need to review all their risk factors that come into play in making their healthcare decisions.
The Turkish study can be found at http://wjso.com/content/7/1/37
October 8, 2009 - 6:25amThis Comment
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