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Summary:
Iranian women who have had an induced
abortion have a 62% increased risk for breast cancer.
Women with a history of induced
abortions have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
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According to a report
in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention,
breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among
Iranian women. A study was conducted among women living
north of Iran in order to determine the major risk
factors for breast cancer in these women. Breast cancer
is the most common cause of death among all women in the
world, and is also the most common form of cancer among
Iranian women by over 22%. The study found that women
who have one or more of the following risk factors are
at a higher risk for breast cancer: obesity, menopause,
family history of breast cancer, and a history of
induced abortion (as opposed to spontaneous abortion
such as a miscarriage). As a result of their findings,
researchers stated that “public awareness should be
increased regarding the role of obesity, family history,
higher education, menopause, and history of induced
abortion and protective effect of more or full term
pregnancy…” Furthermore, these researchers noted that
more studies are recommended to explore the causes of
breast cancer in Iran. This study has been called “the
only reliable (abortion-breast cancer) study from Iran
because its authors, unlike others, distinguished
between induced abortions and spontaneous abortions
(miscarriages).”
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