Survival rates for childhood cancers continue to improve Women who have survived childhood cancer could benefit if they breastfeed their own children, according to research.
Cancer survivors are often at increased risk of conditions such as obesity and weak bones.
Scientists from St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis concluded that breastfeeding could help neutralise those risks.
The review appears in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship.
Progress in cancer biology and therapies means that greater numbers of patients who get cancer in childhood are surviving.
However, some groups of survivors are at an increased risk of health problems later in life - known as "late effects".
Survival rates for childhood cancers have improved considerably and continue to improve. In the UK, for every 10 children diagnosed with cancer, almost eight will survive for five years or more, compared with just three in ten in the late 1960s
Source: Cancer Research UK
The researchers examined previous studies on the impact of breastfeeding and on the long-term health effects of surviving childhood cancer.
They identified three common "late effects" experienced by women who have survived childhood cancer.
These are: bone mineral density deficits; metabolic syndrome which can lead to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease; and a risk of developing further cancers, particularly breast cancer.
Breastfeeding is known to lessen the risk in all three of these areas.
Bone mineralisation can be adversely affected by childhood cancer treatment and may mean some survivors are more likely to develop early-onset osteoporosis, or brittle bones.
The research now suggests that breastfeeding could help with this as, after weaning their children, the bone density of mothers who breastfeed often exceeds pre-pregnancy rates.
James L Klosky Clinical psychologist“Breastfeeding, in addition to diet and exercise, avoiding tobacco use, and engaging in safe sexual behaviour, is one more behaviour that can... potentially ameliorate adverse late effects of cancer treatment”
Metabolic problems, including increased body mass index, occur in higher rates in some childhood cancer survivors.
Those particularly affected include survivors of lymphocytic leukemia, testicular cancer and those who had bone marrow transplantations. Breastfeeding is known to reduce the incidence of obesity.
Survivors of childhood cancers are also at increased risk of getting cancer later in life, and the researchers say that women are are greater risk than men, becau
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