Why Zerodha CEO Nitin Kamath’s post on breast cancer raises some red flags: Is delayed motherhood raising risk in women living in cities?

So if a woman’s first pregnancy happens before the age of 30, her lifetime risk of developing breast cancer after menopause decreases. The logic is simple. According to Dr Khandelwal, breast cells in younger women are immature and very active until a woman’s first full-term pregnancy. The first time pregnancy is believed to mature breast cells and help them grow in a more regular way. “This is why pregnancy helps protect against breast cancer in the longer term. Being pregnant reduces your total number of lifetime menstrual cycles, which may be another reason why earlier pregnancy seems to offer a protective cover,” he says. A delayed pregnancy means the cells are more prone to responding to estrogen as well as hormone-disrupting chemicals in products.

October is breast cancer awareness month. One of the revelations from Seema’s ordeal is that the incidence of breast cancer in the Indian metros is far higher than most people realize.

Apart from the increase in carcinogenic substances around us, apparently, women not having… pic.twitter.com/IXC28FF2VH

— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) October 27, 2023

HOW DOES BREAST-FEEDING HELP?

When the breast tissue goes through the complete development process involved in producing milk, it becomes less susceptible to developing cancer later in life. “Estrogen decreases prior to birth and throughout breastfeeding though it gradually recovers to reach normal levels by about six months or at cessation of lactation. That’s why we say that a cumulative breast-feeding for at least one year (spread over two births for six months) suppresses estrogen enough to lower breast cancer risk,” explains Dr Khandelwal.

WHAT ARE OTHER TRIGGERS?

Obesity is the next big factor. That’s because fat tissue produces excess amounts of estrogen, high levels of which have been associated with increased risks of breast, endometrial, ovarian, and some other cancers. “Fat and estrogen are closely linked,” says the doctor. The risk of smoking is easy to understand, considering that they contain carcinogens. Alcohol too increases levels of estrogen and other hormones associated with breast cancer. Women drinkers tend to have increased amounts of folic acid in their systems, which can lead to increased cancer risk.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR WOMEN WITHOUT CHILDREN?

The risk goes up for sure but that doesn’t mean that all childless women are getting breast cancer. “We do not want to be alarmist but knowing you are at risk means you become breast aware and follow the drill of lifestyle management, like maintaining a healthy weight, doing exercises, quitting smoking (pollutants are carcinogenic enough) and limiting alcohol,” says Dr Khandelwal. And do not miss out on early screening. Do a self-examination once every month, a mammogram once a year post 40, and should you have dense breast tissue, an ultrasound, MRI and needle biopsy are failsafe enough.