Ovarian cancer
Maternal health research
Below is a selection of studies exploring the impact of breastfeeding on ovarian cancer risk. For more details on this, see our maternal health meta-analyses research section.
Breastfeeding factors and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer
This US study examined the association between breastfeeding factors and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). It found that compared to never breastfeeding, breastfeeding any offspring was associated with a 30% reduction in EOC risk. That association lasted more than 30 years and was dose-respondent, and an earlier age at first breastfeeding was further associated with increased protection.
The fraction of cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the United Kingdom in 2015
This study explored the fraction of cancer cases attributable to modifiable risk factors in the UK, finding that nearly four in ten (37.7%) cancer cases in 2015 in the UK were attributable to known risk factors. Researchers identified not breastfeeding as one such risk factor; amongst women, not breastfeeding was attributed to 2,582 cancer cases in 2015.
Older research
- The Effect of Breastfeeding Duration and Parity on the Risk of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
- Breastfeeding and ovarian cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 epidemiological studies
- Breastfeeding and ovarian cancer risk: a meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies