Contact: Karen Malec, Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, 847-421-4000

MEDIA ADVISORY, March 14 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Arkansas Times reported Thursday that two UAMS oncologists denied the abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link. [1]

"They are either liars or they are uninformed," said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer

Laura Hutchins, the director of hemtology/oncology for UAMS, said, "My assessment is that there does not appear to be a definite increased risk." She used a 2004 study from the journal Lancet that has been criticized for its errors in at least five medical journals. [2-9]

Dr. Kent Westbrook, UAMS professor of surgery, said abortion is not a cancer-related issue, but that exogenous and external hormone stimulation and hormone replacement therapy raise risk.

"The biological reasons for the cancer risk of hormone replacement therapy are the same as the biological reasons for an abortion-breast cancer link. It's about the effects of estrogen overexposure in the presence of progesterone on cancer-susceptible tissue. 85% of the breast lobules become cancer-resistant during the last months of full term pregnancy." declared Malec.

Westbrook misled women by claiming that pregnancy reduces risk.

"On the contrary, a half-century of research shows that only pregnancies lasting at least 32 weeks gestation provide a risk-reducing effect," corrected Malec. "I challenge Westbrook to prove otherwise. No experts deny that premature birth before 32 weeks raises risk. An abortion is biologically the same event.

"Last year, an insurance actuary proved he could forecast future breast cancer rates for the years 2003 and 2004 for England and Wales with nearly 100% accuracy by using abortion rates and, secondarily, fertility rates. [10,11]

"It's not just the blogs that are accusing the medical establishment of covering-up the link. Allegations are being made in medical journals. [2,4,5,6,11] Dr. Angela Lanfranchi accused the federal government, academicians and cancer groups like Susan G. Komen for the Cure of suppressing evidence of two cancer risks - abortion and oral contraceptives this month." [12]

The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is an international women's organization founded to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.

References available online