A new study has found that women with breast cancer who breastfeed for more than six months have a better survival rate. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Linkoping and County Hospital in Sweden, and published in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine.
Women who underwent surgery for primary breast cancer 20 years ago were studied. Researchers, including those from University of Tromso in Norway, showed that among breast cancer survivors who breastfed for more than 6 months, both breast cancer mortality and overall mortality risk were less after 20 years. They examined the link between lifetime breastfeeding history and both breast cancer-specific and overall survival among women treated for breast cancer who had lived long enough for other causes of death to contribute substantially to mortality.
Speaking about this, the researchers said, This study confirms that the long-term maternal health benefits of breastfeeding are not only preventative in nature, but that it also has the capacity to reduce the severity of breast cancer.