Today, at the 100th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. Johana Vanegas, M.D., a research associate at Fox Chase, presented her research findings suggesting that one of the most effective ways to prevent breast cancer may be through a full-term pregnancy at an early age. Studies out of Fox Chase Cancer Center have linked this protective effect to the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced by the placenta to maintain the early stages of pregnancy. The study also suggest that even a much shorter exposure to hCG can prevent breast cancer in rats. Their findings in an animal model of breast cancer showed that rats exposed to hCG over a 21 day period (the length of rat pregnancy), are far less likely to develop breast cancer when exposed to a known carcinogen.
More information on this study can be found at: http://www.fccc.edu/