Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Apr;153(1):116-122.
doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.01.017. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Breastfeeding factors and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer

Francesmary Modugno  1 , Sharon L Goughnour  2 , Danielle Wallack  3 , Robert P Edwards  4 , Kunle Odunsi  5 , Joseph L Kelley  6 , Kirsten Moysich  7 , Roberta B Ness  8 , Maria Mori Brooks  9
Affiliations

Breastfeeding factors and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer

Francesmary Modugno et al. Gynecol Oncol. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: Previous studies suggest that breastfeeding reduces epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) risk. However, the effects of age, timing and episode details on the EOC-breastfeeding relationship have not been examined. The objective of this study was to examine the association between breastfeeding factors and epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: We examined breastfeeding factors among parous women in a population-based, case-control study conducted in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York from 2003 to 2008. We compared 689 incident EOC cases to 1572 community controls. Multivariable unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with breastfeeding patterns adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: Compared to never breastfeeding, breastfeeding any offspring was associated with a 30% reduction in EOC risk (OR = 0.70; 95%CI = 0.58-0.85). That association lasted more than 30 years (OR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.53-0.88). An average breastfeeding episode of 3 months was also associated with reduced risk (OR = 0.73, 95%CI = 0.58-0.80). A greater number of breastfeeding episodes was associated with greater risk reduction (OR = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.64-0.96 and OR = 0.49, 95%CI = 0.36-0.68 1-2 and 3+ episodes, respectively, compared to never breastfed, trend p = 0.01). Longer breastfeeding duration was also associated with reduced risk (OR = 0.75 and 0.62 for less than and greater than 1-year total duration, respectively, compared to never breastfed). An earlier age at first breastfeeding was further associated with increased protection (OR = 0.50-0.80, for first episode at age <25, 25-29, and 30+, respectively, trend p = 0.001).

Conclusions: Breastfeeding for as few as 3 months is associated with reduced EOC risk. Although this association decreases over time, it persists for more than 30 years. Longer cumulative duration, increasing number of breastfeeding episodes, and earlier age at first breastfeeding episode are each associated with increased benefit.

Keywords: Breastfeeding; Case-control study; Epithelial ovarian cancer.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2018. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2018.
    1. Moyer VA. Screening for ovarian cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmation recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157(12):900–4. - PubMed
    1. Modugno F, Edwards RP. Ovarian cancer: prevention, detection, and treatment of the disease and its recurrence. Molecular mechanisms and personalized medicine meeting report. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2012;22(8):S45–57. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cho KR, Shih Ie M. Ovarian cancer. Annu Rev Pathol. 2009;4:287–313. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Crum CP, Drapkin R, Miron A, et al. The distal fallopian tube: a new model for pelvic serous carcinogenesis. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2007;19(1):3–9. - PubMed

Publication types