Somewhere around 2500 years ago, Persian King Xerxes was conquering Greece. You might have seen him in a little blockbuster movie called 300 (If you haven’t seen the movie, just imagine a few hundred actors with spray-painted abs stabbing things).
Absent from the movie, but actually pretty important to Xerxes’ rise to power, was his mother Queen Atossa.
Aside from her influence on the course of world history, Queen Atossa has another claim to fame: She had the first documented case of breast cancer in history.
It's the Breast Month of the Year
Each October, stores across North America get a spooky makeover for Halloween. Let’s take a step back from the costume parties and spiked punch and have some real talk: October is also breast cancer awareness month. It turns out that what once afflicted the ancient Persian Queen is just as big a problem today as it was then.
Perhaps it’s a bigger problem, even. Over a quarter million new diagnoses are expected to be diagnosed this year alone, and over 40,000 people will die.
This is a way bigger problem than people might realize. 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Those pink ribbons are important! They remind you that nobody is immune, and you should regularly examine yourself.
There are dozens of contributing factors to developing breast cancer, and just as many preventative actions one can take. Today specifically, we’re looking at one very important countermeasure: Breastfeeding.
In 2002, 2009, 2014, and 2015, various studies all corroborated the fact that breastfeeding can significantly lower one’s chance of breast cancer.
Nursing and Breast Cancer
It’s confirmed that breastfeeding is directly linked with a reduction in reproductive cancer, but how exactly does this process work for breast cancer?
Well, there’s actually a lot of uncertainty in regards to the how. Theories are still being developed, tested, and researched. I’ll refrain from spouting off the half-dozen theories. The hard truth for now is that nobody actually knows. The one thing that we do know:
Regardless of occupation, monetary bracket, or race...
breastfeeding has been shown to decrease your risk of cancer.
For every 12 months a woman breastfeeds, she reduces her risk of breast cancer by 4.3%. For those of you who aren’t professional statisticians, that number is absolutely mindblowing. Another impressive number is related to the number of children one has. For every birth, cancer risk is 10% less likely.
When these two factors combine, it feels a lot like a natural cancer forcefield.
The Numbers
Let’s take a look at an actual example of this with a real person: Actress Penelope Cruz.
In an interview with Allure magazine Cruz said:
“I was breast-feeding my son 13 months, and I plan to do the same with my daughter. [Nursing] is addictive. It’s hard when the day comes when you have to stop.”
So if she gave birth two kids, and breastfed each for 13 months... she’s 29% less likely to develop breast cancer.
That sound you just heard was the world’s statisticians gasping. 29% is a huge deal.
Stay Vigilant
Just because Breast Cancer Awareness month is coming to a close doesn’t mean you should stop paying attention. Cancer can develop at any time, not just October. Don’t forget why we make such a big fuss out of this every year: That 1 in 8 number is a scary thing.
If you're black the numbers are even scarier. For those under 40, black women are at the highest risk for breast cancer and are especially vulnerable to "triple-negative" breast cancer. This is a dangerous variant form that breastfeeding can help prevent.
Keep informed and stay aware. Regular mammograms can help detect problems before symptoms arise. Early treatment is key to living a nice long healthy life.
As a non-profit, Healthy Children Project (the kind people who brought you this blog) are always looking to spread awareness. If there’s even a slight chance this article could help someone you know, please spread the word.