There has long been a belief among doctors that pregnancy prevents the development of breast cancer. But recent studies have shown that the more births a woman has, the greater her risk of developing a particular subtype of cancer, which is the most aggressive and less responsive to cancer therapy. Doctors have found that nulliparous women are 40% less susceptible to the development of cancer cells, since their hormone, which is responsible for blocking the effect of therapy, is practically inactive.
The research is surprising in that this type of cancer is dependent on the amount of estrogen in the woman’s body. The higher its amount, the worse it gives in to conservative treatment. It used to be thought that estrogen blockers had no effect on the treatment process. But statistics convincingly showed that in women who gave birth more than three times, the amount of estrogen in the body exceeds the amount of a similar hormone in nulliparous women by 45%, and, consequently, there are more estrogen – blockers that prevent successful hormonal treatment. A secondary factor is that women who have given birth develop changes in the mammary glands, which can lead to the development of pathogenic processes.
Doctors note that the increase in the chances of developing breast cancer in women who have given birth more than three times is not fully understood. Information is limited to the fact that hormonal changes during pregnancy cause irreversible changes in the structure of the mammary gland. Doctors suggest that, due to these changes, a woman’s breasts become more susceptible to the effects of certain carcinogens, which cause cancer cells to be activated.