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Cancer Causes & Control
Published in: Cancer Causes & Control 5/2007

01-06-2007 | Original Paper

Breastfeeding and risk of ovarian cancer in two prospective cohorts

Authors: Kim N. Danforth, Shelley S. Tworoger, Jonathan L. Hecht, Bernard A. Rosner, Graham A. Colditz, Susan E. Hankinson

Published in: Cancer Causes & Control | Issue 5/2007

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Abstract

Objective

To describe the association between breastfeeding and ovarian cancer risk in two prospective cohorts.

Materials & methods

We pooled data from the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II. There were 391 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosed among 149,693 parous women with up to 16 years of follow-up. Data were analyzed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, controlling for age, parity, duration of oral contraceptive use, tubal ligation, and age at menarche.

Results

Ever breastfeeding was associated with a non-significant reduction in ovarian cancer risk compared with never breastfeeding (RR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.70–1.06); the median duration of breastfeeding among women who breastfed was nine months. Breastfeeding of 18 or more months was associated with a significant decrease in ovarian cancer risk compared to never breastfeeding (RR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.46–0.96). For each month of breastfeeding the relative risk decreased by 2% (RR = 0.98 per month, 95% CI 0.97–1.00).

Conclusions

These data support a linear inverse association between breastfeeding and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.
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Metadata
Title
Breastfeeding and risk of ovarian cancer in two prospective cohorts
Authors
Kim N. Danforth
Shelley S. Tworoger
Jonathan L. Hecht
Bernard A. Rosner
Graham A. Colditz
Susan E. Hankinson
Publication date
01-06-2007
Publisher
Kluwer Academic Publishers
Published in
Cancer Causes & Control / Issue 5/2007
Print ISSN: 0957-5243
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7225
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-007-0130-2

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