Abortion: Does it increase the risk of breast cancer?

There's no credible evidence of a link between induced abortion and breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

A few studies in the early 1990s suggested a possible link. One large meta-analysis — an analysis of data compiled from multiple previous studies — reported that women who had one or more induced abortions were at increased risk of breast cancer. But this study has been widely criticized for flaws in its design that may have affected the conclusions.

Other more recent population-based studies, especially studies from the Netherlands and Sweden, found no link between induced abortion and breast cancer. Population-based studies look at large groups of people to determine whether those who have a given condition have any common features that may account for that condition. This type of study is considered a more accurate way to examine such an issue.