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Being born to older mother adds to breast cancer risk, says study
As if health hazards such as miscarriage, infertility, breast cancer and ovarian cancer were not enough to leave a woman worried as she delays her marriage plans, a new study has claimed that daughters born to older mothers have higher risk of developing breast cancer later due to increased breast (memographic) density.
The study’s principal researcher, Virginia Lope of the Carlos III Health Institute in Spain and her team with the National Centre for Epidemiology at ISCIII had evaluated a sample of over 3,500 women aged 45 to 68 years and found that women born to older mothers — those above 39 years — tend to have a higher breast density which increases the risk of developing cancer.
They also found that women who were taller and thinner than the average girl prior to puberty may also be at risk. But those whose breast density was reduced over a period of time (six years) were less at risk than those whose density remained stable, says the study published in the latest issue of American journal, Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
Women who are over the age of 35 when they first give birth have a 40 per cent increased risk than those having children before the age of 20. “Because estrogen levels are lower during pregnancy, breast tissue is exposed to more estrogen in women who become pregnant for the first time later in adulthood. Additionally, age increases the risk of genetic damage to breast cells. During pregnancy, when these cells grow rapidly, more abnormal cells may be copied,” causing cancer.
In India, breast cancer is already on the rise due to various factors with growing concept of late marriage and unawareness being the major reasons.
According to the Government data, the number of new breast cancer cases is about 1,15,000 per year and this is expected to rise to 250,000 new cases per year by 2015.
As if health hazards such as miscarriage, infertility, breast cancer and ovarian cancer were not enough to leave a woman worried as she delays her marriage plans, a new study has claimed that daughters born to older mothers have higher risk of developing breast cancer later due to increased breast (memographic) density.
The study’s principal researcher, Virginia Lope of the Carlos III Health Institute in Spain and her team with the National Centre for Epidemiology at ISCIII had evaluated a sample of over 3,500 women aged 45 to 68 years and found that women born to older mothers — those above 39 years — tend to have a higher breast density which increases the risk of developing cancer.
They also found that women who were taller and thinner than the average girl prior to puberty may also be at risk. But those whose breast density was reduced over a period of time (six years) were less at risk than those whose density remained stable, says the study published in the latest issue of American journal, Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
Women who are over the age of 35 when they first give birth have a 40 per cent increased risk than those having children before the age of 20. “Because estrogen levels are lower during pregnancy, breast tissue is exposed to more estrogen in women who become pregnant for the first time later in adulthood. Additionally, age increases the risk of genetic damage to breast cells. During pregnancy, when these cells grow rapidly, more abnormal cells may be copied,” causing cancer.
In India, breast cancer is already on the rise due to various factors with growing concept of late marriage and unawareness being the major reasons.
According to the Government data, the number of new breast cancer cases is about 1,15,000 per year and this is expected to rise to 250,000 new cases per year by 2015.
