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Breast Cancer May Originate In Utero: The Importance of the Intrauterine Environment for Breast Cancer Development

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Breast Cancer

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Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer death (after lung cancer) (American Cancer Society 2009). The incidence of breast cancer varies four- to fivefold across countries, is the highest in Europe and North America, and the lowest in Asia (Ferlay et al. 2001). Breast cancer incidence has been on the rise since the 1930s, with more dramatic increase in the 1980s (White et al. 1990; Devesa et al. 1994). The incidence of breast cancer in the US stabilized from 2001 to 2003 and started to decline in 2003, possibly due, in part, to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (Howe et al. 2006). It was projected that in 2010, 207,090 women would develop invasive breast cancer and 39,840 women will die from the disease (American Cancer Society 2010).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Obstetrics and Gynecology Epidemiology Division, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Fei Xue

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Fei Xue

Authors
  1. Fei Xue
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  2. Karin B. Michels
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Clinical Cyt, Falun Central Hospital, Falun, 791 82, Sweden

    Tibor Tot

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Xue, F., Michels, K.B. (2010). Breast Cancer May Originate In Utero: The Importance of the Intrauterine Environment for Breast Cancer Development. In: Tot, T. (eds) Breast Cancer. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84996-314-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84996-314-5_3

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