In a recent retrospective analysis, researchers reported that breastfeeding for less than six months or having a first child at a younger age and breast feeding for a short duration are both risk factors for developing triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
By reviewing published studies and calculating the impact of studied risk factors, scientists estimate that up to 15% of new TNBC cases in Black women and 12% in White women each year could potentially be prevented if more women breastfed or expressed milk for longer than six months.
TNBC is diagnosed more frequently in Black women, making up 19% to 28% of breast cancer cases in this group, compared to 9% to 14% among white women. The results of this recent analysis suggest that policies and support systems that help women breastfeed longer could reduce the number of TNBC cases and help close the racial gap in TNBC rates.
For patients and families, this means that breastfeeding may play a role in lowering the risk of certain aggressive breast cancers, and community support for breastfeeding could be an important step in cancer prevention.
More Reading
Breastfeeding Reduces Risk of Developing Breast Cancer
Reference
Chehayeb, R.J., Odzer, N., Albany, R.A. et al. Breastfeeding attributable fraction of triple negative breast cancer in the US. npj Breast Cancer 11, 40 (2025).
