A new study by cell biologists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, suggests that an early first pregnancy may protect against breast cancer decades later by preventing age-related changes in breast cells that are linked to tumor formation. Using a mouse model designed to mimic human aging and reproductive history, researchers found that pregnancy fundamentally alters how mammary tissue ages—reducing the buildup of abnormal cells that have the ability to change their identity in a way that could seed cancer in later life.
This article was originally published on MedicalXpress.com
