Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy Could Mean Lower Risk of Breast Cancer
June 24, 2007 by Gloria Gamat
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Women who suffered morning sickness during pregnancy may actually be fortunate because this could mean 30% lower risk of breast cancer later in life compared to those who had nausea-free pregnancies.
[I had a nausea-free pregnancy you know!]
Such were the findings of University of Buffalo epidemiologists, recently presented at the Society for Epidemiologic Research’s annual meeting in Boston.
According to David Jaworowicz, Jr., first author on the study and a doctoral candidate in the Department of Social Preventive Medicine in UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions:
“Although the exact mechanism responsible for causing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy has yet to be pinpointed, it likely is a result of changing levels of ovarian and placental hormone production, which may include higher circulating levels of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin. In vitro studies have shown that this hormone possesses several activities that have potential protective effects against cancer cells.”
The said study was based on data from participants in the Western New York Exposure and Breast Cancer Study – a population-based case-control study of breast cancer conducted in women 35-79 from two Western New York counties between 1996 and 2001.
No cause for alarm though because the researchers admit that these were only preliminary findings: based mainly upon whether women “ever” experienced these conditions vs. “never” during any of their pregnancies.
Find more details from the full report.
