According to a study by the Imperial College London, older women getting pregnant are at risk of having breast cancer after pregnancy since healthy breast tissue may be affected.
The risk of breast cancer after a pregnancy especially in older women since healthy breast tissue may get affected. (Photo: Yahoo News UK)
Healthy Breast Tissue Gets Affected After Pregnancy
A new study from Imperial College London suggests that human cells accumulate mutations and may affect healthy breast tissue as women age, and pregnancy can influence this process. The study aimed to explain why breast cancer might develop after pregnancy by examining cellular and genetic changes in normal, healthy breast tissue.
The researchers found that older first-time mothers have a higher chance of developing harmful changes in their healthy breast tissue compared to other women. Women over the age of 35 who had their first child had larger and increased numbers of clonal patches of mutated cells in their healthy breast tissue.
According to a published article by the NY Post, while most of the mutations were not harmful to healthy breast tissue, the increase in mutated cells with age may create a greater chance for cancer-causing mutations to develop. The researchers hope that other scientists can use their findings to further investigate the genetics of healthy breast tissue and breast cancer.
The Risk Of Cancer In Pregnancy Of Older Women
In a published article by Yahoo News UK, the chance of developing cancer rises for mothers giving birth over the age of 24, with a 5% increase in risk for every five years over that age. The study found that healthy tissue acquires around 15 new mutations per year, but most have no negative effects or associations with cancer.
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