Hi Chrissy,
Thanks so much for finding this.
This is a US-based study and looked at the impact of lifetime duration of 
breastfeeding on breast cancer rates. The highest lifetime duration was 24 
months which was actually short term duration per child when it is 
considered that 30-45% of the women had 3 or more children....and there were 
very few women in the longest duration group- the authors of the study 
suggest that the small number could mean that chance is the cause of the 
increased risk in the "long" duration group.
My understanding of the research in this area is that breastfeeding for a 
short time does little to impact breast cancer risk and that's why research 
in developed countries often does not show a big impact of 
breastfeeding...the durations are pitiful.
Karleen Gribble
Australia


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christine Bodin" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 4:06 AM
Subject: Re: breastfeeding and cancer study???


> Well, I enjoy a challenge and I *knew* that I read a study some years ago 
> finding a greater risk in breast cancer for women breastfeeding longer 
> than 24 mos. I did find a study reporting this here: Int J Cancer.  2004; 
> 110(1):102-9
>
> http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/15054874
>
> I'm not sure if this is the same study or not that I remember reading and 
> I am sure that there are all kinds of problems with it.  And, for the 
> record, I do believe that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer, 
> that it is dose dependent, and know that the large preponderance of all 
> studies show this. But, for the poster who asked this question, yes, this 
> study does exist.
>
> The study above was published in 2004 but the information was gathered on 
> women diagnosed with breast cancer in Los Angeles between the years 
> 1995-1998. It seems the earlier a study is done the more likely the 
> results are to show little or no risk reduction in breast cancer with 
> breastfeeding. Even the Lancet reported this in Feb, 1996 and a  WHO 
> report in 1993 (little to no, not greater risk). I don't think there are 
> *any* recent studies at all that are able to say that breastfeeding 
> provides no or only minimal protective effect. The jury is not out 
> anymore. But more women are breastfeeding and breastfeeding longer now and 
> it is easier to get a better study.
>
> Chrissy
>
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