Can having more kids increase breast cancer risk? Oncologist shares insights

Breast cancer is a pressing health concern in women. It is fuelled by many factors such as weight gain, alcohol consumption and lack of regular exercises.

Dr Ritika Harjani Hinduja, Consultant – Radiation Oncology, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and MRC, said, “ A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is related to her exposure to hormones that are produced by her ovaries (endogenous estrogen and progesterone). “

“Reproductive factors that increase the duration and/or levels of exposure to ovarian hormones, which stimulate cell growth, have been associated with an increase in breast cancer risk. Factors such as early onset of menstruation, late onset of menopause, and other factors ae also responsible for allowing breast tissue to be exposed to high levels of hormones for longer periods of time, such as later age at first pregnancy and never having given birth.”

The oncologist further explained the complex link between having children and breast cancer:

Pregnancy and breastfeeding:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding reduce a woman’s lifetime number of menstrual cycles and thus her cumulative exposure to endogenous hormones are associated with a decrease in breast cancer risk. Causing breast cells to differentiate or mature so that they can effectively produce milk are the types of impact that pregnancy and breastfeeding has on a woman’s body. These cells are more resistent to cancer.

The age of pregnancy:
The age when a woman gives birth to her first child and the number of times she gives birth is related to the risk of breast cancer. A pregnancy can increase a short-term risk of cancer for a woman, while it also reduces the cancer risk in the long-term. Women who give birth to their first kid at a young age are less prone to having breast cancer in comparison to women who choose late pregnancy or do not give birth to a child at all.

Genetic damage in cells:
Breast cells see rapid growth during pregnancy. Hence, any kind of genetic damage in the breast cells during pregnancy is also replicated with its growth. This fast replication of genetic damage can also lead to breast cancer.

Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer:
Multiple childbirths may sometimes cause abnormal growth of hormone-negative cells and lead to a more aggressive type of hormone-negative cancer.