Is abortion a risk factor for breast cancer?
The role of abortion in breast cancer risk has been very controversial. Some studies have suggested that there could be as much as a 1.5-fold increase in risk among women who have had an abortion. However, a very large study conducted in Denmark was recently published and showed no connection between abortion and breast cancer risk. The conclusions of the Danish study have been accepted by most scientists because the Danish researchers were able to use medical records rather than self-report about whether a woman had ever had an abortion. Also, the study included the entire population of women in Denmark, a much large sample than other studies. However, since the Danish study on abortion, a large study that combined the data from several previous studies did find abortion to be a significant risk factor. So this is still considered a “potential” risk factor.
