history of breastfeeding & reduced risk of bc recurrence

Options

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/15042...

http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/107/7/djv08...


"Women diagnosed with breast cancer who previously breastfed their babies had a 30 percent overall decreased risk of the disease recurring, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. In addition, researchers found that the protective effect of breastfeeding was more pronounced for tumors of particular genetic subtypes, including the most commonly diagnosed of all breast cancers."

Comments

  • Giazuc
    Giazuc Member Posts: 44
    edited May 2015

    This article is so interesting...I always wonder how these findings are proven

  • mary625
    mary625 Member Posts: 1,056
    edited May 2015

    Well first they tell us that breastfeeding will keep us from getting bc in the first place. Now they tell us it will prevent recurrence. Hmmmm

  • kcat2013
    kcat2013 Member Posts: 391
    edited May 2015

    I do find it interesting that the study looked at the different subtypes. I always would laugh when I would read that breastfeeding reduced the risk of BC--I breastfed my kids for a combined total of 5 years and still wound up with BC at 34. :) But this study sheds some light on that because I had luminal B type. It's crazy how many variables there are in BC and what influences the development of it!

    Kendra


  • kt1966
    kt1966 Member Posts: 1,326
    edited May 2015

    Shame it didn't help me at all. I had 2 children & breast fed for around 3+ years all up....

    BC and recurrence anyway :(

  • clarrn
    clarrn Member Posts: 557
    edited May 2015

    I breastfed my daughter for 17 months, breast cancer 1 year after stopping.

  • ShazzaKelly
    ShazzaKelly Member Posts: 909
    edited May 2015

    I breast fed my 3 for a year each and still got breast cancer at 32. I was still producing milk but had not long weaned my youngest when diagnosed.

    I also had a recurrance 8 years later and a whole new cancer in my other Breast 6 years after that. Go figure

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2015

    I hate this...I would've been all for extended breastfeeding, but I got cancer at 28, before I had a chance to have children. I only had a single mastectomy so I still have a chance to breastfeed if I have a biokid in the future, but I'll only be allowed to do it 1-2 months tops, since I'd need to go back on endrocine therapy.

  • clarrn
    clarrn Member Posts: 557
    edited May 2015

    Bad-at-names- they might recommend that but do what you think is right for you. Breastfeeding is supposed to be protective too so I think you might have some bargaining power

  • doxie
    doxie Member Posts: 1,455
    edited May 2015

    Bad at Usernames,

    I hate seeing anyone with this disease, but it is particularly unfair for someone as young as you.

    The devil is in the details here. The research states that the benefit of breast feeding is for those with luminal A cancer only. This is high ER+ and PR+ with low Ki67, usually grade 1 and sometimes grade 2. Someone who is ER+ and HER2+, like you, is luminal B, not A. Also someone with ER+, low or no PR+, and Ki67 20% or more is also luminal B.

    Among women with luminal A subtype, ever breastfeeding was associated with decreased risks of recurrence (HR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.31 to 0.89) and breast cancer death (HR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.29 to 0.93), yet no statistically significant associations were observed among the other subtypes. Effects appeared to be limited to tumors with lower expression of proliferation genes.

Categories