Does Breastfeeding Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer - Literature review Example

Does Breastfeeding Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer? Name Institution Introduction to the Topic Breast cancer is considered the most common cancer among women across the globe. Its psychological effects arising from its impact on the perception of sexuality and self-image makes it one of the cancers that is most feared by women (Kumar et al., 2014). In developed countries, the number of women who have breast cancer has increased over time, and this is because the women in these countries bear fewer children and also breastfeed for shorter periods (Woodman, 2002). Research has shown that breastfeeding offers several health benefits to mothers. Different studies have been done globally and have found that breastfeeding plays a significant role in reducing breast cancer. A study conducted to measure the breast cancer risk in parous women who lactated exclusively and those who had never breastfed found that those who lactated exclusively had a reduced risk of contracting breast cancer compared to those women who did not breastfeed exclusively (Unar-Munguia et al., 2017). Other researchers have found a link between prolonged breastfeeding and the decrease in the risk of suffering from breast cancer (De Silva et al., 2010). This literature review looks at the research on the link between breastfeeding and the reduction in the risk of breast cancer to establish the truth in the hypothesis that breastfeeding has a reduction effect on the likelihood of contracting breast cancer. The data for the literature review was collected by conducting searches for journal articles from MEDLINE and PubMed databases. The data was gathered from previous studies related to the topic acquired through conducting online searches from the above the two databases. The evaluation of the data was done by assessing the strength of the evidence presented in the journal articles and their connection to the topic. MEDLINE and PubMed searches were conducted for journal articles related to the topic using search terms such as “Breastfeeding and breast cancer,” “Does breastfeeding reduce the risk of breast cancer?” and “Breastfeeding and the risk of breast cancer.” Strengths and Limitations of Current Research Yang and Jacobsen (2008) argue that although there is evidence that suggests that the overall risk of premenopausal breast cancer reduces with lactation, the previous studies are inconsistent as to this protective effect. The study focused on 30 case-control studies and from these only 11 found the protective effect of breastfeeding. The study recommended that more consideration should be done on the protective effect. Bernie et al. (2000) agree with this position. The study involved a meta-analysis of published studies which revealed that the evidence showing the protective effect of lactation was limited and inconsistent. However, the research also revealed a growing number of evidence showing the link. Giudici et al. (2016) through a study conducted to assess the link between breastfeeding and other reproductive factors, for example, the number of children and the probability of contracting breast cancer revealed that reproductive factors did not reduce this risk (Giudici et al., 2016). The study, however, revealed that breastfeeding for at least 12 months was a major preventative factor against breast cancer, particularly luminal B breast cancer. The strength of the evidence from this study arises from the fact that it involved 286 participants which makes the results reliable. However, the research did not consider how other factors such as the participants’ background may affect the results. Research conducted by Cancer Research in the UK revealed that the reason many women in the UK and other developed countries were at a higher risk of contracting breast cancer is because they bear few children and also spend less time breastfeeding (Awatef et al., 2010). However, this research, as was the case in the study by Giudici et al. (2016), failed to take into account how environmental factors may affect this protective effect. The previous research on the protective effect of lactation shows positive results. These studies have credible and accurate results since they involve studying participants and conducting examinations over a prolonged time (De Silva et al., 2010). The limitations of these studies, however, relate to the fact that they fail to take into account the issue of whether or not the women are in menopause. The failure to differentiate between the evidence in women in the menopause stage and those not yet affects the results of these studies significantly (Sakai, 2001). Gaps in Knowledge Nagata et al. (2012) and other studies have revealed that prolonged lactation reduces breast cancer risk. However, Bernier et al. (2000) opposes this position and argues that the evidence in favor of a link between lactation and breast cancer risk reduction remains inconsistent. In this study, the researchers found a slight decrease in breast cancer risk in long-term breastfeeding women. Although breastfeeding was seen as a protective factor against breast cancer, the research concluded that it was a protective factor of a small magnitude. Sakai (2001), on the other hand, states that although breastfeeding is considered as a protective factor, there are other factors that affect the risk of breast cancer such as age, smoking, the use of medication and family history. Other than these factors, there are also environmental influences that may affect this risk among women. This means that although breastfeeding can protect against breast cancer, the protective effect may be altered by the family history, environmental factors and lifestyle behavior of the women. Previous studies have failed to take into account the effect of these factors on the protective factor of breastfeeding (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2012). This means that although breastfeeding may generally reduce the chances of contracting breast cancer in women, this protective or reduction effect does not apply to all women and must, therefore, be assessed based on the different backgrounds and other characteristics of the participants. Other factors, as discussed above, have to be considered together with breastfeeding when assessing the exposure of the women to breast cancer. The previous studies have not considered and measured the personal exposure of the participants to environmental factors which have biological effects that may affect the susceptibility of the participants to breast cancer. These measurements of the exposure to environmental factors that may affect the breast cancer risk should then be used to assess the protective effect of breastfeeding. The current research, therefore, seeks to prove or disprove the hypothesis that breastfeeding has a protective effect against breast cancer in women. It also seeks to address the gap in knowledge regarding the protective effect of breastfeeding. The current research seeks to find out whether environmental factors and other factors such as age, smoking, taking alcohol among other factors affect the protective effect that arises from breastfeeding or whether the breastfeeding effect remains the same among all women despite variations in certain characteristics. Aims and Objectives of a Quantitative Research Study on the Topic Other than the literature review, the current study will also involve carrying out primary research on the link between lactation and breast cancer. The primary research on the topic based on quantitative research methods is meant to provide independent results as to the truth or otherwise of the hypothesis. The quantitative research will involve a case-controlled study in women aged 30 to 65 years in specific health facilities. The study will cover 200 recent cases of breast cancer where detailed information regarding the women’s reproductive factors, breastfeeding, menstruation, smoking, family history and environmental factors will be collected through a structured questionnaire. The objective is to ensure that all the factors that may affect the protective effect of breastfeeding are taken into account. Stuebe (2009) says that although some studies have suggested that there is a link between breastfeeding and the reduction in the risk of breast cancer, the evidence has been mixed and inconsistent. This is mainly due to the failure by previous studies to consider other factors other than breastfeeding that have an effect on the risk of breast cancer. Inumaru et al. (2012), in a research done in Brazil points out that having a low per capita income and living in rural areas are also risk factors for breast cancer. Previous research has failed to consider such factors leading to the inconsistencies in the research. Dieterich et al. (2013), for example, states that although there is a possibility of lactation reducing the risk of breast cancer, the evidence is still inconclusive. The current research, therefore, seeks to address these inconsistencies by considering all the risk factors of breast cancer and how they affect the protective effect of breastfeeding. An equal number of controls will also be selected for the research using random sampling. The analysis of the research is to be conducted using SPSS to ensure that the results of the study are accurate and reliable. The research will address the inconsistencies and limitations in the previous research regarding the link between lactation and the risk of contracting breast cancer. Research Question The research question to be answered by the current study is; Does breastfeeding by women reduce the risk of breast cancer? An application of the PICO model to the research question reveals a detailed scope of the research question. The population or the patient group concerned is the parous women or mothers. The intervention, in this case, is promoting prolonged breastfeeding as a way to prevent both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer. There are different alternative prevention measures for breast cancer which are recommended by physicians such as regular physical activity, avoiding excessive intake of alcohol and healthy eating. The overall outcome is to provide preventive measures that protect women against breast cancer. In case the results of the study prove the hypothesis of the research, the effect is that medical practitioners will recommend women to breastfeed for a prolonged time in order to prevent breast cancer and improve their quality of life. These preventive measures are meant to improve and promote women’s health. References Dieterich, C., Felice, J., O’Sullivan, E. & Rasmussen, K. (2014). Breastfeeding and health outcomes for the mother-infant dyad. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 60(1), 31-48. Stuebe, A. (2009). The risks of not breastfeeding for mother and infants. Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2(4), 222-231. Inumaru, L., Gomes, M., Erika, A. & Naves, M. (2012). Risk and protective factors for breast cancer in Midwest of Brazil. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2(3), 1-10. Kumar, B., Singh, M., Malik, J. & Kalhan, M. (2014). Breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk: A case-control study in North India. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 5(6), 791-795. Woodman, I. (2002). Breastfeeding reduces risk of breast cancer, says study. British Medical Journal, 325(7357), 184. Unar-Munguia, M., Torres-Mejia, G., Colchero, M. & De Cosio, G. (2017). Breastfeeding mode and risk of breast cancer. Journal of Human Lactation. Yang, L. & Jacobsen, K. (2008). A systematic review of the association between breastfeeding and breast cancer. Journal of Women’s Health, 17(10), 1635-1645. De Silva, M., Senarath, U., Gunatilake, M. & Lokuhetty, D. (2010). Prolonged breastfeeding reduces risk of breast cancer in Sri Lankan women: A case-control study. Cancer Epidemiology, 34(3), 267-273. Sakai, T. (2001). Does breastfeeding reduce risk for breastcancer? A short lesson in evidence-based practice. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 26(1), 42-45. Giudici, F., Scaggiante, B., Scomersi, S., Bortul, M., Tonutti, M. & Zanconati, F. (2016). Breastfeeding: A reproductive factor able to reduce the risk of luminal B breast cancer in premenopausal white women. European Journal of Cancer Prevention. Nagata, C., Mizoue, T., Tanaka, K., Tsuji, I., Tamakoshi, A. & Tsugane, S. (2012). Breastfeeding and breast cancer risk: An evaluation based on a systematic review of epidemiologic evidence among the Japanese population. Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, 42(2), 124-130. Freund, C., Mirabel, L., Annane, K. & Mathelin, C. (2005). Breastfeeding and breast cancer. Gynecologie, Obstetrique, and Fertility, 33(10), 739-744. Bernie, M., Plu-Bureau, G., Bossard, N., Ayzac, L. & Thalabard, J. (2000). Breastfeeding and risk of breast cancer: A meta-analysis of published studies. Human Reproduction Update, 6(4), 374-386. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (2012). Breast cancer and the environment. The National Academies Press. Awatef, M., Olfa, G., Imed, H., Kacem, M., Imen, C., Rim, C., Mohamed, B. & Slim, B. (2010). Breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk: A case-control study in Tunisia. Cancer Causes and Control, 21(3), 393-397. PAPER SUMMARY Kumar, B., Singh, M., Malik, J. & Kalhan, M. (2014). Breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk: A case-control study in North India. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 5(6), 791-795. The article documents the results of a study done in India to find the link between breastfeeding and the risk of breast cancer. The article concludes that breastfeeding plays a great role in reducing the risk of breast cancer among women. Woodman, I. (2002). Breastfeeding reduces risk of breast cancer, says study. British Medical Journal, 325(7357), 184. The article is based on the research done by Cancer Research in the UK on the increase in the cases of breast cancer. The research concludes that the increase in the number of cases of breast cancer among women in developed countries is attributed to the few children they bear and decreased periods of lactation. Unar-Munguia, M., Torres-Mejia, G., Colchero, M. & De Cosio, G. (2017). Breastfeeding mode and risk of breast cancer. Journal of Human Lactation. This study provides a comparison between the risk of breast cancer among parous women who breastfeed exclusively and those that do not breastfeed exclusively. The study finds that those women who exclusively breastfed had a reduced risk of breast cancer compared to those that did not breastfeed exclusively. Yang, L. & Jacobsen, K. (2008). A systematic review of the association between breastfeeding and breast cancer. Journal of Women’s Health, 17(10), 1635-1645. The article argues that previous research on breastfeeding and breast cancer has not found consistent evidence that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer. The research recommends further research to show the link between breastfeeding and breast cancer. De Silva, M., Senarath, U., Gunatilake, M. & Lokuhetty, D. (2010). Prolonged breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer in Sri Lankan women: A case-control study. Cancer Epidemiology, 34(3), 267-273. The study examined the link between the duration of breastfeeding and the risk of breast cancer among women in Sri Lanka. The study finds that prolonged breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk significantly. Sakai, T. (2001). Does breastfeeding reduce the risk for breast cancer? A short lesson in evidence-based practice. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 26(1), 42-45. The journal article summarizes the literature concerning the protective effect of breastfeeding. It examines previous studies and finds evidence demonstrating that there is a protective effect against breast cancer that arises from breastfeeding. Giudici, F., Scaggiante, B., Scomersi, S., Bortul, M., Tonutti, M. & Zanconati, F. (2016). Breastfeeding: A reproductive factor able to reduce the risk of luminal B breast cancer in premenopausal white women. European Journal of Cancer Prevention. This study looks into the role of breastfeeding in luminal A and luminal B breast cancers. The article finds that women who breastfed for 12 months had a reduced risk of breast cancer. The study found that prolonged breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer. Nagata, C., Mizoue, T., Tanaka, K., Tsuji, I., Tamakoshi, A. & Tsugane, S. (2012). Breastfeeding and breast cancer risk: An evaluation based on a systematic review of epidemiologic evidence among the Japanese population. Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, 42(2), 124-130. This article provides a review of epidemiological studies on breastfeeding and breast cancer among women in Japan. The article uses secondary data from data sources such as MEDLINE and PubMed and concludes that there is a high possibility that breastfeeding decreases breast cancer risk. Freund, C., Mirabel, L., Annane, K. & Mathelin, C. (2005). Breastfeeding and breast cancer. Gynecologie, Obstetrique, and Fertility, 33(10), 739-744. The journal article provides a summary of the current knowledge and research on the impact of pregnancy and breastfeeding on the risk of breast cancer. The article finds that breastfeeding for women previously treated for breast cancer helps prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. Bernie, M., Plu-Bureau, G., Bossard, N., Ayzac, L. & Thalabard, J. (2000). Breastfeeding and risk of breast cancer: A meta-analysis of published studies. Human Reproduction Update, 6(4), 374-386. This journal article argues that although there is evidence to suggest that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer, such evidence is limited and inconsistent. The article recommends that more research should be done to provide more evidence on the protective effect of breastfeeding. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (2012). Breast cancer and the environment. The National Academies Press. The report provides a discussion on the effect of the physical environment on the risk of breast cancer. It also provides recommendations for future research to ensure that the environmental factors are considered in research. Awatef, M., Olfa, G., Imed, H., Kacem, M., Imen, C., Rim, C., Mohamed, B. & Slim, B. (2010). Breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk: A case-control study in Tunisia. Cancer Causes and Control, 21(3), 393-397. This study focuses on assessing the relationship between breastfeeding and the risk of breast cancer among women in Tunisia between 2006 and 2009. The study covered approximately 400 cases of breast cancer and found that there was a positive relationship between breastfeeding and reduced breast cancer risk. Dieterich, C., Felice, J., O’Sullivan, E. & Rasmussen, K. (2014). Breastfeeding and health outcomes for the mother-infant dyad. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 60(1), 31-48. This study examines the consequences of breastfeeding to the health of the infant and the mother. The study finds that although there is evidence to suggest a link between lactation and reduction in the risk of breast cancer, such evidence is nevertheless inconclusive. Stuebe, A. (2009). The risks of not breastfeeding for mother and infants. Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2(4), 222-231. This study provides a comparison of the health outcomes for mothers and infants who breastfeed with those who formula feed. The study notes that mothers who fail to breastfeed have an increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer. Inumaru, L., Gomes, M., Erika, A. & Naves, M. (2012). Risk and protective factors for breast cancer in Midwest of Brazil. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2(3), 1-10. This study investigates the risk and protective factors for breast cancer among women from Brazil. The study finds that economic factors such as low income per capita as well as environmental factors affect the risk of contracting breast cancer in women. Read More