Does early or timely marriage reduce Breast Cancer risks?

According to WHO, breast cancer has become the most common cancer in the world, overtaking lung cancer. In the past decades, the overall number of people diagnosed with cancer has nearly doubled. From an estimated 10 million in 2000, the number has gone up to 19.3 million in 2020.
Out of all the types of cancers, breast cancer has become a major health concern across Indian cities, especially metros like Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, etc. The alarming fact is every 4 minutes an Indian woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, and every 13 minutes a woman dies due to it.
In a turn of events, the rate of breast cancer is on the rise among women in their 30s & 40s, an unprecedented group before.

Why is breast cancer increasing in India?

According to experts, the incidence of breast cancer is increasing due to a rapid change in lifestyle and population demographics in India. The risk factors are getting more in tune with life as we know it. They include genetics (about 10%), heredity, sedentary lifestyle, late or no pregnancy, oral contraception, late marriage, early menstruation, late menopause, excessive alcohol intake, smoking, obesity, stress, poor diet, and much more.

You must have noticed we put late marriage among the risk factors. Why? And can early marriage reduce breast cancer risks? Can timely marriage save you from breast cancer?

First off, by early marriage, we mean timely marriage.

Why is timely marriage important?

Because with timely marriage comes a timely start of a family, i.e., childbearing. You see, it is well known that the amount of exposure to estrogen, the female hormone, is directly proportional to the risk of breast cancer. So, early menstruation (before 11yrs) means an early introduction of estrogen, and late menopause means the extended effect of the hormone on the body. Both can increase the risk of breast cancer. Not only that but if the childbearing is delayed, it also exposes the female to high estrogen levels for a longer duration of time and this increases the risk of breast cancer. When women are pregnant, the menstrual cycle stops.

Even breastfeeding is a type of natural contraception. So, generally, from the time a woman gets pregnant till the time she breastfeeds, the natural cycle doesn’t start. Mothers should breastfeed for at least up to 2 years. So, even after pregnancy, you can expect there is no menstrual flow for that period and hence the body is not exposed to estrogen. Pregnancy plus breastfeeding, so that’s about 3 years.

In India, most people have at least 2 children. So, it is expected that for about 6 years a woman’s body is not exposed to estrogen. High exposure to estrogen definitely leads to a higher risk of breast cancer. In yesteryears when there used to be many children, there were very few cases of breast cancer. Life expectancy is increasing, even with the rise of breast cancer, but it is clear that the number of children or parity, meaning the number of children is inversely proportional to the breast cancer risk. 

So, yes, early marriage and early family planning can decrease the incidence of breast cancer by decreasing the exposure to estrogen.

To conclude, Breast cancer is on the rise in India and worldwide. While the treatments are becoming better and more accessible, some lifestyle changes can prevent the disease altogether. So, it is in your best interest to understand the information to lead a better, healthier life.