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Review
. 2023 Sep 7:13:1257804.
doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1257804. eCollection 2023.

The role of breastfeeding in breast cancer prevention: a literature review

Yulong Chen  1 , Pengli Jiang  2 , Yongqin Geng  3
Affiliations
Review

The role of breastfeeding in breast cancer prevention: a literature review

Yulong Chen et al. Front Oncol. .

Abstract

Breast cancer stands as the most prevalent malignancy globally. Despite the array of treatment options, its mortality rate continues to rise annually. Thus, reevaluation of factors directly linked to breast cancer emergence is imperative, alongside the development of more effective preventive measures. Estrogen levels, profoundly tied to reproduction, play a pivotal role in breast cancer development. Speculation centers on the potential of breastfeeding to mitigate cancer risk in women. However, the precise mechanism remains elusive. Breastfeeding is a modifiable reproductive factor extensively studied. Studies highlight a direct connection between lack of breastfeeding and breast cancer emergence, potentially linked to DNA methyltransferase expression alteration, aberrant methylation levels, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, cellular microenvironment, and oncogenes. This study reviews recent mechanisms underlying breastfeeding's role in reducing breast cancer incidence.

Keywords: breast cancer; breast involution; breastfeeding; mechanism; methylation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Breastfeeding inhibits the occurrence of breast cancer by affecting the methylation of FoxA1.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prolonging breastfeeding duration can reduce the activity of PAPP-A through STC and inhibit the occurrence of breast cancer.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The mechanisms by which breastfeeding reduces the incidence of breast cancer.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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