Induced Abortion, Miscarriage Not Linked to Subsequent Breast Cancer Risk

THURSDAY, Feb. 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A history of induced abortion or miscarriage is not associated with an increased risk for premenopausal or postmenopausal breast cancer, according to a study published online Feb. 11 in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica.

Sushmita Katuwal, Ph.D., from Tampere University in Finland, and colleagues conducted a case-control study based on population-based registry data that included 31,687 women with breast cancer diagnosed between 1972 and 2021 and their 158,433 female population controls matched by birth year and parity. The authors sought to examine the associations of induced abortion and miscarriage with the risk for premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer.

The researchers found that compared with women with no history of induced abortion, women with a history of induced abortion had odds ratios of 1.00 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.92 to 1.09) and 0.95 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.06) for premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer, respectively (age younger than 50 years and age 50 years and older, respectively). For miscarriage, the corresponding odds ratios were 1.02 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.89 to 1.16) and 0.92 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.79 to 1.08). There was no significant variation observed in the odds ratios based on the number of induced abortions or miscarriages or by age at time of first induced abortion or miscarriage.

“Miscarriage or induced abortion as potential risk factors for breast cancer has continued to raise concerns and has led to the spread of misinformation. In this study using high-quality Finnish registry data, we can reliably eliminate these concerns,” coauthor Oskari Heikinheimo, M.D., Ph.D., from Helsinki University Hospital, said in a statement.

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