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Justin Stebbing: Why some women who have had children might have different risks for breast cancer compared to those who haven’t

Photo from Justin Stebbing/LinkedIn

Sep 8, 2023, 18:21

Justin Stebbing: Why some women who have had children might have different risks for breast cancer compared to those who haven’t

Justin Stebbing, shared on LinkedIn,

“Thank you to my amazing team, special thanks to Biancastella Cereser for getting this work over the line with Nature Communications. We uncover the connection between pregnancy and breast health, helping us understand why some women who have had children might have different risks for breast cancer compared to those who haven’t. It also provides unique insights into normal breast genomics. To do this we used laser capture microdissection to separate tissue into epithelial cells, which can form cancers, and the stroma (the breast tissue itself).

As more and more women decide to become mothers later in life, this research aimed to understand the genetic mysteries that play a role in breast cancer risk. By looking closely at the DNA of healthy women, including both younger and older moms, the scientists wanted to figure out how changes happen in breast tissue over time, especially after pregnancy.

The study found something really important: pregnancy can actually change the genetic makeup of breast tissue. Just like wrinkles appear on our skin as we get older, changes can also happen in the DNA of our breast cells over time. But this study shows that pregnancy adds an extra twist to these changes. In older women who become mothers for the first time, the number of these changed cells gets bigger compared to younger moms or older women without kids. This might mean that older first-time moms could have a higher chance of having harmful changes in their breast cells compared to other women.

This new knowledge can empower women to make informed choices about their reproductive health and to take steps to prevent and detect breast cancer early. Special thanks too to the Susan Komen Tissue Bank and Action Against Cancer for their support.”

Justin Stebbing: Why some women who have had children might have different risks for breast cancer compared to those who haven't

Source: Justin Stebbing / LinkedIn

Justin Stebbing is a visiting Professor of Cancer Medicine and Oncology at Imperial College, London and a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Cambridge. He was appointed the first NIHR oncology professor in 2011. He is editor-in-chief of Nature’s cancer journal Oncogene. Prof. Stebbing has published over 700 peer-reviewed papers in leading academic journals. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Pathologists and sits on many advisory boards. He is on the Editorial Board of OncoDaily.