Pregnancy

Pregnancy and breast cancer risk is a complex area; however we know that they are linked in three ways.

The first of these is age. Having your first baby before the age of 30 carries a slightly lower risk than starting a family later on. The risk is even lower for women becoming pregnant before the age of 20.

The second is the number of children you have – with the risk decreasing with each subsequent pregnancy. It follows then that women who have not had children are at a higher risk of breast cancer than those who have.

The third is a temporary increase in breast cancer risk directly after childbirth. Reasons for this are still unclear, however research studies suggest that hormone changes are responsible and that the period of increased risk is no longer than a few years. Breast cancer during childbearing years is rare.

You’ll find more information on our factsheet, Pregnancy and Breast Cancer Risk: The Facts (272 kb) .

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£3 a month over a year could buy 20 flasks used by our scientists to grow breast cancer cells in the laboratory.

£5 a month buys 100 microscope slides needed to look at cells in great detail under a microscope – enabling scientists to better understand breast cancer and develop new treatments.

£10 a month buys storage containers for blood samples used in the Breakthrough Generations Study. These samples will help scientists discover the causes of breast cancer.