27 Mar 2024 • Longer breastfeeding duration may be a potential factor in prevention of childhood B-cell precursor ALL, as per study findings published in JAMA.

• In a study encompassing 309,473 children, exclusive breastfeeding for 3 months or more showed a significant association with reduced risk of childhood hematologic cancers (AHR, 0.66), particularly B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (AHR, 0.62).
• However, this protective effect wasn't evident for central nervous system tumors (AHR, 0.96) or solid tumors (AHR, 0.87).

The suggested protective effect of breastfeeding against childhood cancer is noteworthy. It not only points to potential biologic pathways that could modulate childhood cancer risk but also suggests a simple preventive measure.

Source: JAMA | Read full story