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The
Connection Between Abortion and Breast Cancer
In
1998 researchers noted that there was a 40 percent
increase in breast cancer and that breast cancer was now a
young woman’s disease. When researchers looked at
the three oldest groups of women, ages 50-64, 65-74, and
75 and older, only the younger group, 50-64 had breast
cancer increases between 1987 and 1998.
That
dramatic rise in breast cancer was seen in the first group
of women young enough to have had abortions when Roe v
Wade made abortion legal. 28 out of 37 international
studies show a link between abortion and breast cancer.
Many experts know this, but the subject is too political.
The
power of the connection is that it has a biological
explanation. Immediately below are a couple links from
the The
Coalition On Abortion-Breast Cancer. The
following is from their Biological
Explanation Page. Read down the page for
other links. Note, that there is a lot of political
posturing that abortion does not at all increase the risk
of breast cancer, but there have a been a couple lawsuits
in which women-who did not develop breast
cancer-nonetheless were able to win awards/settlements for
the failure of abortion clinics to disclose this
risk. This means that you can posture in public and
fool people and mislead the public, but when you get
before a jury, things change.
From
The Coalition on Abortion Breast Cancer:
Brief
Summary of Estrogen's Role and the Biological Explanation
* Biological
Evidence
* Estrogen
- The "Smoking Gun"
* Biological
Explanation for the Link
Detailed Explanation of the Biological Basis for the
Abortion-Breast Cancer Link (Offered to the Coalition
courtesy of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute)*
* Exposure
to Estrogen & Breast Cancer Risk
* Breast
Maturity & Breast Cancer Risk
* Reproductive
History & Breast Cancer Risk
Two
questions Nevada LIFE hears about the abortion breast
cancer link.
Will
everyone who has an induced abortion develop breast
cancer? No. The claim is that there is an
increased risk. Women in some demographics are
higher (see some of our past statements
below). The link between smoking and lung
cancer provides an analogy. Not everyone who smokes
will develop lung cancer. In fact most smokers will
NOT develop lung cancer, but smoking poses enough of an
increased risk that the government believes it necessary
to warn the public that smoking could lead to lung
cancer.
If
the link is true, does that mean that every woman who
develops breast cancer had an abortion?
No. Abortion is a risk factor, not the sole cause.
Go to these sites for leading information
on the abortion breast cancer link.
The
Coalition on Abortion-Breast Cancer
This site is a treasure of information for those
wanting to get into the details of the issue and the
arguments going back and forth.
Read
the research the Coalition on Abortion Breast
Cancer has gathered on the abortion breast Cancer
Connection.
Attorney John
Kindley
Author of 'The
Fit Between the Elements for an Informed Consent Cause
of Action and the Scientific Evidence Linking Induced
Abortion with Increased Breast Cancer Risk,' 1998
Wisconsin Law Review, Pages 1595-1644. Mr. Kindley
is currently litigating a landmark abortion case,
Mattson v. MKB Management Corporation dba Red River
Women's Clinic. The Red River Women's Health Clinic
in Fargo, N.D. is being sued for "false advertisement"
for claiming there is no scientific research establishing
an abortion-breast cancer link. According to the World
Net Daily, "the case hinges on whether the following
statement contained in a pamphlet from the Red River
Women's Clinic is true: 'Anti-abortion activists claim
that having an abortion increases the risk of breast
cancer and endangers future child-bearing. None of
these claims are supported by medical research or
established medical organizations.'"
Breast
Cancer Prevention Institute with Joel Brind, PhD
Joel Brind, Ph.D., is a Professor of biology and
endocrinology at Baruch College of the City University
of NY, where he has been teaching since 1986. His
research on the connections between reproductive hormones
and human disease has included breast cancer since
1982.
Since 1992 Dr. Brind has written and lectured extensively
on the connection between induced abortion and breast
cancer. His peer-reviewed research paper on the subject,
“Induced Abortion as an Independent Risk Factor
for Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis”,
which he wrote in collaboration with colleagues at
the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, PA,
appeared in the October, 1996 issue of the Journal
of Epidemiology and community Health, Published by
the British Medical Association.
His Research has also recently been the subject of
discussion in the most prominent medical journals,
including the Journal of the National Cancer Institute,
the New England Journal of Medicine and the British
Medical Journal.
Abortion advocates downplay the
28 out of 37 studies
worldwide and 13 of 14 in the United States which
say that a woman's risk of breast cancer is elevated
by an induced abortion. They cite the "Danish"
or Melbeye study's conclusion that there is no correlation
between an increased risk between induced abortion
and breast cancer. Dr. Brind's "Rotten In
Denmark" analysis of this flawed study dhows that
when pruned of its errors, the Melbeye study shows an actual 40 percent
elevated risk between induced abortion and breast
cancer.
Dr. Brind has been a guest on Voice
For Life with Nevada LIFE President Don Nelson
and Toni Berry.
Nevada Life Statements On The Abortion Breast Cancer
Connection.
AB 580 Would Cut Incidence Of Cancer
(Reno Gazette Journal, Las Vegas Review Journal, April
1999)
Important legislation is being suppressed that would
reduce the incidence of breast cancer for Nevada women.
AB 580 would require that woman considering abortion be
informed that abortion significantly increases her risk
of contracting breast cancer. With such an important link
established to this deadly disease, why can’t this
bill get a hearing?
Your call to the chair of the committee to hear this
bill, Vivian Freeman at 384-2225, is necessary to make
sure this important legislation is heard.
Abortion is a silent, but significant contributing factor
to breast cancer; silent in the fact that few are aware
that 10 out of 11 research studies of American women,
and 25 studies world wide, indicate that abortion is a
contributing factor to breast cancer. (Note, it is now
13 out of 14 American studies and 27 worldwide)
For example, the risks increase when abortion terminates
a woman’s first pregnancy, when abortion is performed
on teens, with repeat abortions (44 percent of all abortions);
and the risk increases later in pregnancy (89% increase
after the 18th week). Women with a family history of breast
cancer who abort face a 270 percent risk increase.
A recent study led by pro-choice researcher J.R. Daling
found that women who have abortions face a 50 percent
greater risk of developing breast cancer.
Since abortion is almost never necessary for health
reasons, abortion is the most avoidable of all risk factors
for breast cancer.
Do Nevada women considering abortion have the right to
know to be informed that abortion is known to increase
the risk of breast cancer?
Assembly bill 580 (AB 580) ensures that women will have
this information by which they can make a truly informed
choice. It will provide this information to “schools
and other locations where instruction on human sexuality
is provided.”
Unfortunately this bill is in danger of dying in committee
without being read.
Abortion advocates should not fear this legislation.
This legislation will not restrict a woman’s right
or access to abortion. Nor should abortion advocates fear
this further damage to the reputation of abortion. Large
majorities already reject the reasons women give for their
abortions. But it’s clear they will not take away
the right to do what they object to.
This legislation is also good because people generally
agree with President Clinton that we need less abortion,
not more. If informed consent abortion counseling, including
the explanation of risks contracting breast cancer, leads
to less abortion, less teen promiscuity, fewer crisis
pregnancies, and fewer deaths due to breast cancer, we
all win. Who could be against less abortion and less consent?
Some critics say that even if the abortion and breast
cancer connection is true, a 50 percent increased risk
actually results in few extra women contracting breast
cancer. Such reasoning leads one to ask if the risk of
breast cancer is truly so large as to warrant the all
out effort to prevent and cure this horrible disease?
We think it is.
AB580 needs a hearing. Call Chairwoman Vivian Freeman’s
office and your assembly representative at 384-2225 or
800-992-0973 and ask that this bill be acted upon. We
can’t let abortion politics get in the way of good
ethics, good medicine and common sense.
Don Nelson is president of Nevada Life Issues Forum
and Education (Nevada LIFE)
Note, in the Las Vegas Review Journal article, we added
this.
"Critics of this research respond three ways. The
Daling study is alleged to be flawed because of a recall
bias. But Daling checked for bias and found none. Even
if the bias was actually true in this case, other research
where such recall bias is impossible, shows the same alarming
increase of risk.
" Second, a large study in Denmark was supposed
to contradict any risk increase. But it horrendous flaws.
It excluded the abortions of 60,000 who actually had abortions.
Most of those in the study who had induced abortions were
still too young to have developed breast cancer. Many
were still teens. When stripped of these errors, this
study finds the same risk increase."
Read the Nevada Life Press
Release on AB 169 introduced by Assemblywoman Sharron
Angle (R-Reno)
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