Early Puberty, Breast Cancer Link?

As girls in America enter puberty more early than ever, concerns are rising about the health issues that come with it, including what might be an increased risk of breast cancer.

This earlier puberty can make girls develop health problems that require medical treatment from the doctor later in life. It is causing girls to grow breasts as early as 7 or 8, increasing the risk of breast cancer and endometrial cancer.

According to the New York Times, "Studies suggest that earlier puberty, as measured by the age at first menstruation, can slightly increase the risk of breast cancer, probably because it results in longer lifetime exposure to the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which can feed some tumors."

Early Puberty, Breast Cancer Link?
health.usnews

New evidence suggests that girls really are growing up too quickly. American girls are hitting puberty earlier than ever, developing breasts at ages 7 or 8 instead of the traditional 10 or 11 years old. That's worrisome because early puberty has been linked to an increased risk of breast and endometrial cancer, as well as a greater tendency toward low self-esteem and poor body image, according to a report published Monday in Pediatrics. Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center examined more than 1,200 girls and found that 15 percent showed signs of breast development at age 7.

Early Puberty, Breast Cancer Link?