No link found
Abortion or miscarriage
the claim that it causes breast cancer. Medical.
- Verdict
- No link foundStudies looked for a link to cancer and didn't find one.
- How sure
- Rung 4 · StrongAt least one large randomized trial, or very large consistent studies, on this exact question.
The rung shows how sure the science is, not how big the effect is. How to read these ratings
Cancers affected
Breast
What the evidence shows
The National Cancer Institute rates the absence of a link as well established. Older studies that seemed to show one were small and relied on women recalling their history after a diagnosis; larger studies using records collected before diagnosis consistently found no link.
What to do
Neither raises your later breast cancer risk.
Sources
To take it to your doctor, print this page.
Step by step
For the whole picture, from prevention and screening to treatment and life after, see the breast cancer page.