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Science 20 December 2002:
Vol. 298. no. 5602, p. 2309
DOI: 10.1126/science.298.5602.2309b
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ScienceScope

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) views on whether abortion raises a woman's risk of breast cancer continue to evolve. And researchers are hoping that the next iteration reflects good science rather than politics.

In March, NCI officials put out a fact sheet, updated with recent studies, that concluded abortion wasn't a risk factor. In June, new NCI director Andrew von Eschenbach ordered his staff to pull the fact sheet after 28 abortion opponents in Congress disputed NCI's conclusions (Science, 12 July, p. 171). Last month, however, NCI announced on its Web site that the evidence is "inconsistent." It plans to hold a workshop to explore the molecular mechanisms by which hormonal changes during pregnancy protect against breast cancer.

Figure 1

CREDIT: NCI

NCI epidemiologist Robert Hoover welcomes the workshop, tentatively slated for February, saying that he has wanted to convene experts on this broader topic for years. But attendees will be asked to do more than just talk science, says NCI spokesperson Mike Miller. The institute is looking for a "statement" on what its abortion fact sheet should say.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)