Can breastfeeding protect you from breast cancer?

There is some evidence that there may be a slight decrease in the risk of developing breast cancer among women who were breastfed as infants. This protection may be due to the hormones and immune factors present in breast milk.

Do pregnancy and childbirth protect you from breast cancer?

Women who have their first child before the age of 30 reduce their breast cancer risk, because breast cells don't completely mature until they are exposed to hormones released during late pregnancy. Once breast cells have fully developed, they are thought to be less vulnerable to chemicals and other agents that damage DNA.

According to the Cancer Research Campaign, women who have their first child by the age of 20 have 50% less risk of contracting breast cancer than a woman who has her first child after the age of 30. But nobody is suggesting that we should encourage teenage pregnancies in order to beat breast cancer.

What other factors help protect you from breast cancer?
Diet and exercise

Lean, active women have a reduced incidence of breast cancer.

The earlier a healthy lifestyle is adopted, the more effective it will be in reducing the risk of developing breast cancer. There is increasing evidence linking breast cancer to the dietary habits of girls under 10. When overweight girls reach puberty and start producing oestrogen, it ends up being stored in the fat rather than used or discarded.

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol on a regular basis slightly increases the risk of developing breast cancer, and that risk increases with intake.

Alcohol is thought to interfere with the enzymes that break down oestrogen, so relatively heavy alcohol intake can lead to higher than normal levels of the hormone.

What if you feel a lump in your breast while you're breastfeeding?

Lumps are common in the breasts of women who are breastfeeding and are unlikely to be cancer. However, breastfeeding women should still examine their breasts for changes or abnormalities. The best time to examine the breasts is immediately after a feed.

If you have had breast cancer, can you breastfeed?

Following either a mastectomy or radiotherapy you will still be able to breastfeed from your remaining healthy breast, which produces more milk to compensate.

If you have had radiotherapy, it is unlikely that your treated breast will produce much milk, although some women have breastfed successfully from the treated breast.

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