Every October we suffer through a blitz of pink in which the promoters say not a word about the Pill causing breast cancer nor a word that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer. If everyone wrote at least to his or her own daily paper this month about these matters, it might open a least a few eyes. And wouldn’t it be helpful if the papers would tell us about any prior use of oral contraceptive pills when a celebrity is associated with breast cancer. That might do for breast cancer awareness what the death of Edward R. Murrow did for smoking and lung cancer.
Regarding the use of the Pill, here is a quote from Dr. Kahlenborn’s “The Pill and Breast Cancer” brochure: “A comprehensive meta-analysis published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings in October 2006 found that 21 out of 23 retrospective studies done since 1980 showed that women who took oral contraceptives prior to the birth of their first child sustained a 44% average increased risk of developing pre-menopausal breast cancer. This risk rose to 52% for women who took the Pill for at least four years prior to the birth of their first child.”
For a good explanation of how hormonal contraception, abortion and other risks relate to breast cancer, read a free, online 22-page booklet on this topic. Go to “links” at the NFPI website and scroll down and click Breast Cancer Prevention Institute under “Breast Cancer.”
Sheila and John Kippley
PS: Below is a letter Sheila sent to our newspaper on October 5th. As of October 10th, it was not published. No surprise.
“In addition to the general advice offered by Laura Nikolaides’ Oct. 5th letter to “maintain a healthy weight, exercise and limit alcohol consumption,” there are two very specific things a woman can do to reduce her risk of breast cancer.
1. Never take the Pill for any reason. The World Health Organization in 2005 classified the Oral Contraceptive Pill as a Class 1 carcinogen. Research shows that women who take the Pill have, on average, a 44% increased risk of breast cancer compared to women who never used the Pill.
2. Breastfeed your babies exclusively for six months and then continue with complementary feeding after that. Each month of breastfeeding helps to reduce a mother’s risk of breast cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research reviewed almost 100 studies and found convincing evidence that breastfeeding lowered the risk of breast cancer in women.
The easiest way to understand the risks for breast cancer is to search the “Breast Cancer Prevention Institute” and download their booklet, “Breast Cancer: Risks and Prevention.” It is excellent!”