No one should use the term "primitive" to refer to any people or cultures,
either today or in the past.  There are no 'primitive' cultures, and no
'primitive' people.

Women in many areas of the world still spend most of their adult life either
pregnant or breastfeeding, until menopause (and some of them do  breastfeed
through menopause and beyond).  There is no valid research on levels of
breast cancer in these populations because they are not being routinely
screened, either by mammogram or by biopsy or even by a manual exam by an
ob/gyn.  Women in many parts of the world die from a host of reasons,
including breast cancer, no doubt, and no one knows why they died.

There is research to suggest that normal durations of breastfeeding help
lower a woman's risk of breast cancer.  The idea that one could artificially
induce or prolong lactation throughout your adult life in order to prevent
breast cancer is a tad far-fetched, in my humble opinion.

Before anyone flames me publicly, know that I am going nomail for the next
several days.  So all flames should come to me privately.  :)

Kathy Dettwyler

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