Minnesota Medical Association

WOMEN'S GROUP DENOUNCES MINNESOTA GOVERNOR'S DECISION TO MINIMIZE ABORTION-BREAST CANCER FINDINGS

The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer condemns Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's decision to revise wording about the abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link in a handbook provided by the state's Health Department.  The coalition deplores efforts by Planned Parenthood and the Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) to pressure Pawlenty to conceal the overwhelming evidence supporting abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.

"These groups are following the tobacco industry's playbook," said Karen Malec, president of the coalition.  "Human life is of no importance to them.   They care only for one thing - abortion industry profits.  They're petrified because the nation's first ABC malpractice lawsuit was settled late last year."

The MMA falsely told Pawlenty that agreement exists in the medical community that abortion doesn't increase risk.  In fact, six medical groups recognize the significance of the research. 1

The new Health Department statement reads, ``Findings from some studies suggest there is an increased risk of breast cancer among women who had an abortion, while findings from other studies suggest there is no increased risk."  It refers to an erroneous "consensus report" provided by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI).

"The NCI defied logic by denying an ABC link," argued Mrs. Malec. "Early and increased childbearing before age 24 is recognized as the most effective risk reduction method. The handbook mentions a minority report from an unnamed scientist who disagreed with the NCI, but that report isn't published on the NCI Web site.  This eliminates the possibility that women wanting to read the dissenting opinion could ever find it." 2

Medical experts and others have independently leveled serious charges of impropriety against the NCI in recent years even accusing the once respected agency of concealing evidence of environmental and occupational causes of cancer. 3  Since 1957, NCI officials have used heavy-handed means to cover up extensive evidence of a second way abortion raises breast cancer risk, which exists independently of the protective effect of childbearing.  Although the agency provided at least partial funding for most of the American studies, taxpayers have not been informed that 13 out of 16 studies report risk elevations.

The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is an international women's organization founded to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.

• 1. Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, National Physicians Center for Family Resources, Catholic Medical Association, American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Polycarp Research Institute, Breast Cancer Prevention Institute.
• 2. Available from the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute at www.BCPInstitute.org.
• 3. Epstein S. Young Q. "An Ounce of Prevention." Los Angeles Times, August 31, 2003.