Breastfeeding and its Association with Breast Cancer: a Systematic Review of the Literature

• Published in: Mædica Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 106
• Main Authors: Oikonomou, Georgia, Bothou, Anastasia, Eirini, Orovou, Daglas, Maria, Iliadou, Maria, Antoniou, Evangelia, Palaska, Ermioni
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Romania 15.03.2024
• ISSN: 1841-9038; 2069-6116
• DOI: 10.26574/maedica.2024.19.1.106

Breast cancer is a global public health issue. The disease can be diagnosed in both older and younger women, with the latter facing several dilemmas. Breastfeeding is of general concern to the scientific community as well as its connection with the prevention of breast cancer is being sought. The purpose of this review is to search for studies investigating the relationship between breast cancer and breastfeeding. The articles included in the present paper were searched in PubMed and Scopus databases according to PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews. This systematic review sought primary studies investigating the relationship between breastfeeding and breast cancer and that were published in English between 2017-2022. Seventeen articles that investigated the relationship of breast cancer with lactation duration, women's age, family history and lifestyle were included in the present review. It was found that, in most studies, breastfeeding could be evaluated as a protective factor of the disease. From all studied articles, the need for the design of additional studies investigating the relationship between breastfeeding and breast cancer emerges.