Abortion and the Breast Cancer Statistics

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Dr. Janet Daling is a cancer researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington. On 2 November 1994 Dr. Daling and fellow reseachers published an article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (pp. 1584-1592) concerning induced abortion and breast cancer risk for premenopausal women. Some key findings:

  1. Women under age 18 who had an induced abortion have an increased breast cancer risk of 150%.
  2. Women of age 30 and above who aborted a FIRST pregnancy increase their breast cancer risk by 110%.
  3. Overall, women who have an induced abortion have an increased breast cancer risk of 50%.
Dr. Janet Daling is self-described as 'pro-choice'.

The Journal of the National Medical Association is a publication by black medical professionals concerned with black health problems. In the December 1993 issue JNMA published the results of a Howard University study. Key finding:

Black women of age 50 and above who had at least 1 induced abortion have an increased breast cancer risk of 370%.

In September 1995 Louisiana became the first U.S. state to require abortion clinics to inform potential patients that induced abortions may increase breast cancer risk. In no other state (or in Canada) are women warned that there is even a possibility of a link between abortion and cancer.

Mike Richmond
Cancer Awareness Canada
810 W. Broadway (651)
Vancouver, Canada V5Z 4C9

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Posted 9 Sep 2000.

Copyright ©1995 by Cancer Awareness Canada.
This article can be re-published by anyone freely as along as nothing is added or subtracted.

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