Reply #31: A couple of the studies I had read also included reduction in [View All]

risk for postmenopausal women. I think one of the journals was J. of Epidemiology. I can't remember the others (CRS syndrome), but I think one was a UK study.

The Oxford Study you cite is about having been breastfed, not cancer risk by the breastfeeding mother, unless the study changes course:
Background: Having been breast-fed has been suggested to influence cancer risk in adulthood. We investigated associations between breast-feeding during infancy and adult cancer incidence and mortality in a cohort study and meta-analyses of published studies. snip

The Fact Sheet says:
After pregnancy, breastfeeding for a long period of time (for example, a year or longer) further reduces breast cancer risk by a small amount.

The statistics I am familiar with indicated that the rate was about 4.3 to 5% for each year of lactation. I've reduced my risk by over 30% if this is the case. It does add up, whether it is by having a large family or nursing longer, as is done in many other places in the world.

1-2 years may seem like alot to most Amercian women, but I know quite a few, including myself, that went beyond that, and yes, many were working outside the home. But they were motivated and had good support at home and also through policies at work and jobs where they had some degree of control over their time. I recognize that this isn't the case for all mothers. This isn't about judgment. Everyone has to walk their own path. But I don't think it can be ignored as a possibility for helping some women reduce certain types of risk.

Lactation Amenorrhea tends to last longer in older nursing mothers. It would be interesting to see a longitudinal study with this as a factor.

Another study was reported on today's news correlating higher degrees of nausea in pregnancy to lower BrCa rates. Maybe that is also tied to pre-eclampsia. It will be interesting to see if the study holds up.