Study: Abortion Fueling Breast Cancer Epidemic

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/abortion_breast_cancer/2007/12/04/54512.html

Study: Abortion Fueling Cancer Epidemic

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Having an abortion raises a woman's risk of breast cancer by at least 30

percent, and is fueling an "epidemic" of the often fatal disease, according

to British researchers.

According to a new study published in the Journal of American Physicians and

Surgeons, young women who had an abortion before having a child are at the

greatest risk for developing breast cancer.

The study's lead author Patrick Carroll calls abortion the single "best

predictor" of breast cancer trends.

"An abortion in a young woman who has never had a child has a carcinogenic

effect because it leaves breast cells in a state of interrupted hormonal

development in which they are more susceptible," says Carroll, director of

research at PAPRI (Pension and Population Research Institute) in London.

The study adds fuel to the already fiery debate between abortion-rights

advocates who believe the option to terminate a pregnancy is a basic right,

and abortion foes who believe the procedure is morally and ethically wrong.

Abortion-rights proponents argue Carroll's findings are weak and deny there

is a connection between the rise in breast cancer and an increase in

abortions.

"This is an issue that opponents of [abortion] have been publicizing and

making claims about for at least twenty years," said Dr. Michael Thun,

spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.

"This is an epidemiological study and is considered weak because it has no

information on individual behavior, just national behavior," he tells

Newsmax.

For years, medical professionals have agreed that hormonal influences,

including the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), have an effect on

the development of breast cancer. But debate has raged over whether the

hormonal changes caused by an abortion performed in a woman's youth can

affect her chances of developing cancer many years later.

Jane Orient, M.D., executive director of the Association of Physicians and

Surgeons, Inc. and managing editor of the Journal of American Physicians and

Surgeons agrees with Carroll's findings.

"It makes a lot of biologic sense," she tells Newsmax.

Carroll believes that abortions in many countries, including the U.S., tend

to be underreported, so past studies examining the link between abortion and

breast cancer may have inherent flaws.

In the past, developing reliable statistics has been difficult because of

the illegality of abortion and because of the long lag time between the

abortion - usually undergone before a woman reaches the age of thirty - and

the development of breast cancer, which is most common in women over the age

of sixty.

Carroll studied data from eight European countries that are believed to have

extremely accurate, official abortion counts: England and Wales; Scotland;

Northern Ireland; the Irish Republic; Sweden; the Czech Republic; Finland;

and Denmark. He also used those countries' national cancer registration data

for female breast cancer.

Carroll's predictions are huge and they are dire. He predicts that the

incidence of breast cancer in England and Wales will increase by 51 percent

by 2025 with abortion being the biggest risk factor.

Even more frightening is the fact that his past predictions, using the same

type of data, have been extremely accurate. Using figures from 1997, Carroll

predicted 100.5 percent of the cancers observed in the United Kingdom in

2003 and 97.5 percent of all cancers observed in 2004.

Carroll found that Ireland, which has the lowest breast cancer rates in the

British Isles, also has the lowest abortion rates. The lower breast cancer

rate couldn't be explained solely by the fact that Irish women were

protected by the fact they had more children because southeast England had

more cases of breast cancer than average, even though their birth rates were

the same as in the rest of the country.

One puzzling fact is that women from upper social classes and more highly

paid women have higher rates of breast cancer. "Studies show that the more

highly paid women get more breast cancer," Carroll says. "It's unexplained."

Four countries whose statistics were studied by Carroll had already studied

the connection between higher earnings and an increase in breast cancer.

"None could explain it without acknowledging abortion," he says.

In all other cancers, lower classes of women have higher risks of developing

cancer. But breast cancer alone is more common in upper class women and

those with higher paying jobs. "This is the same group of women who have a

greater preference for abortion when pregnant," Carroll says.

Dr. Orient believes Carroll's research is very powerful because he is an

actuary and outside of the abortion controversy.

"He's just looking at the math," she says. "He's just looking at the cold

figures, and his livelihood depends on making accurate predictions of risk.

He just wants to know what the risks are so the insurance industry can price

their policies appropriately.

"Some doctors will ignore this study because it doesn't link a particular

woman with breast cancer," she adds. "It's an ecological study. But so is a

lot of epidemiological evidence.

"Correlation doesn't prove causality, but if you've got correlation over

such a long period of time, and the correlation is that strong, and you have

a plausible biological mechanism, it's strong evidence. While it isn't

definite proof, it sure calls for an explanation. If abortion doesn't

explain it, then what does?"

Carroll says he's merely doing his job as an actuary and has no political ax

to grind in the debate.

"Actuaries have to anticipate trends," he tells Newsmax. "If there's more

breast cancer in the pipeline, you need to know so you can anticipate the

rates you need to charge for insurance in the future.

"Rightly or wrongly, we've had abortion for the past forty years, and now

the time has come to look at the results," says Carroll.

Dr. Orient is afraid that Carroll's findings will be ignored by the major

voices in the medical community. "I think this evidence will be swept aside

by many because I don't think a lot of doctors want to confront it," she

says.

"A majority of doctors are complicit in abortion - either they have referred

a patient, or they have not spoken out against it, or they've failed to

inform their patient of the risks," she says. "They probably fear they could

be held liable if it turns out that abortion is a strong risk factor for

breast cancer.

"Doctors know that many of their patients who have abortions really don't

want to do it, but are looking at the immediate problem that's disrupting

their lives," she adds. "It's not right to deprive a patient of the

information she might find important. Most women really want to know."

Only three states - Texas, Minnesota and Mississippi - require doctors to

tell women the possible link to breast cancer. Kansas, while not mandating

that abortion providers inform their patients of the connection, provides

information through their state publications and website.

"You certainly can't say that abortion directly causes breast cancer, but it

certainly increases the risk," says Dr. Orient. "But if it increases the

risk by 30 percent, that's a lot for such a common disease.

The ACS' Thun, however, believes at least some of the increase in breast

cancer can be attributed to rising rates of obesity, not abortion.

"Post-menopausal obesity has been on the rise in the U.K. as well as in

North America," he says. "The main source of estrogen after menopause is fat

tissue." There's a clear relationship, he says, between [body Mass Index]

and estradiol, the most potent from of estrogen produced by the body after

menopause, and breast cancer."

While both Orient and Carroll agree that obesity may contribute to the

general rise in breast cancer, they disagree with Thun's conclusion. They

point out that the increase in breast cancer was higher in upper class women

and those with higher incomes.

These women tend to be more body-conscious and watch their weight.

Therefore, as a group, upper class women wouldn't have higher amounts of

body fat producing estrogen that could account for their higher rates of

breast cancer.

Dr. Thun is adamant there is no connection between rising rates of breast

cancer and an increase in abortion.

"A thorough review by the advisory committee of the National Cancer

Institute concluded there was no evidence linking induced abortion to breast

cancer," says Dr. Thun. "This study provides no evidence to challenge that

conclusion."

Dr. Orient disagrees.

"Women need to know that the incidence of breast cancer is rising and it is

paralleling the rise in induced abortion. The graphs are very, very clear.

There are many strong reasons to believe abortion is a factor."

On Dec 5, 7:02 am, "Patriot Games" <Patr...@America.com> wrote:

> http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/abortion_breast_cancer/2007/12/04/54...

>

> Study: Abortion Fueling Cancer Epidemic

>

> Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Well, well -- "Patriot Lies" and NewsMin are at it again.

Let's cut to the hear of this article -- useless shit snipped:

[ Nothing of value snipped. ]

> "This is an issue that opponents of [abortion] have been publicizing and

> making claims about for at least twenty years," said Dr. Michael Thun,

> spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.

>

> "This is an epidemiological study and is considered weak because it has no

> information on individual behavior, just national behavior," he tells

> Newsmax.

>

> For years, medical professionals have agreed that hormonal influences,

> including the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), have an effect on

> the development of breast cancer. But debate has raged over whether the

> hormonal changes caused by an abortion performed in a woman's youth can

> affect her chances of developing cancer many years later.

>

> Jane Orient, M.D., executive director of the Association of Physicians and

> Surgeons, Inc. and managing editor of the Journal of American Physicians and

> Surgeons agrees with Carroll's findings.

>

> "It makes a lot of biologic sense," she tells Newsmax.

>

> Carroll believes that abortions in many countries, including the U.S., tend

> to be underreported, so past studies examining the link between abortion and

> breast cancer may have inherent flaws.

>

> In the past, developing reliable statistics has been difficult because of

> the illegality of abortion and because of the long lag time between the

> abortion - usually undergone before a woman reaches the age of thirty - and

> the development of breast cancer, which is most common in women over the age

> of sixty.

>

> Carroll studied data from eight European countries that are believed to have

> extremely accurate, official abortion counts: England and Wales; Scotland;

> Northern Ireland; the Irish Republic; Sweden; the Czech Republic; Finland;

> and Denmark. He also used those countries' national cancer registration data

> for female breast cancer.

>

> Carroll's predictions are huge and they are dire. He predicts that the

> incidence of breast cancer in England and Wales will increase by 51 percent

> by 2025 with abortion being the biggest risk factor.

>

> Even more frightening is the fact that his past predictions, using the same

> type of data, have been extremely accurate. Using figures from 1997, Carroll

> predicted 100.5 percent of the cancers observed in the United Kingdom in

> 2003 and 97.5 percent of all cancers observed in 2004.

>

> Carroll found that Ireland, which has the lowest breast cancer rates in the

> British Isles, also has the lowest abortion rates. The lower breast cancer

> rate couldn't be explained solely by the fact that Irish women were

> protected by the fact they had more children because southeast England had

> more cases of breast cancer than average, even though their birth rates were

> the same as in the rest of the country.

>

> One puzzling fact is that women from upper social classes and more highly

> paid women have higher rates of breast cancer. "Studies show that the more

> highly paid women get more breast cancer," Carroll says. "It's unexplained."

>

> Four countries whose statistics were studied by Carroll had already studied

> the connection between higher earnings and an increase in breast cancer.

>

> "None could explain it without acknowledging abortion," he says.

>

> In all other cancers, lower classes of women have higher risks of developing

> cancer. But breast cancer alone is more common in upper class women and

> those with higher paying jobs. "This is the same group of women who have a

> greater preference for abortion when pregnant," Carroll says.

>

> Dr. Orient believes Carroll's research is very powerful because he is an

> actuary and outside of the abortion controversy.

>

> "He's just looking at the math," she says. "He's just looking at the cold

> figures, and his livelihood depends on making accurate predictions of risk.

> He just wants to know what the risks are so the insurance industry can price

> their policies appropriately.

>

> "Some doctors will ignore this study because it doesn't link a particular

> woman with breast cancer," she adds. "It's an ecological study. But so is a

> lot of epidemiological evidence.

>

> "Correlation doesn't prove causality, but if you've got correlation over

> such a long period of time, and the correlation is that strong, and you have

> a plausible biological mechanism, it's strong evidence. While it isn't

> definite proof, it sure calls for an explanation. If abortion doesn't

> explain it, then what does?"

>

> Carroll says he's merely doing his job as an actuary and has no political ax

> to grind in the debate.

>

> "Actuaries have to anticipate trends," he tells Newsmax. "If there's more

> breast cancer in the pipeline, you need to know so you can anticipate the

> rates you need to charge for insurance in the future.

>

> "Rightly or wrongly, we've had abortion for the past forty years, and now

> the time has come to look at the results," says Carroll.

>

> Dr. Orient is afraid that Carroll's findings will be ignored by the major

> voices in the medical community. "I think this evidence will be swept aside

> by many because I don't think a lot of doctors want to confront it," she

> says.

[ More babble snipped. ]

>

> The ACS' Thun, however, believes at least some of the increase in breast

> cancer can be attributed to rising rates of obesity, not abortion.

>

> "Post-menopausal obesity has been on the rise in the U.K. as well as in

> North America," he says. "The main source of estrogen after menopause is fat

> tissue." There's a clear relationship, he says, between [body Mass Index]

> and estradiol, the most potent from of estrogen produced by the body after

> menopause, and breast cancer."

>

[ Snip snip. ]

>

> Dr. Thun is adamant there is no connection between rising rates of breast

> cancer and an increase in abortion.

>

> "A thorough review by the advisory committee of the National Cancer

> Institute concluded there was no evidence linking induced abortion to breast

> cancer," says Dr. Thun. "This study provides no evidence to challenge that

> conclusion."

>

They cured cancer back in the 1950s. Any doctor who offers credible

competition to chemo and radiation end up run out of practice, slammed

with lawsuits, in prison and/or dead, mysteriously of the disease they

sought to cure. Some do manage to flee the country. Most of these are in

Mexico.