Table 2 Cancer cases by breastfeeding status and sex.

From: The association between being breastfed in infancy and risks of cancer in adulthood—a UK Biobank study

Cancer Site

Women (n = 191,117)

Men (n = 147,998)

Breastfed (n = 135,060 participants)

Not breastfed (n = 56,057 participants)

Total cases

Breastfed n = 112,337 participants

Not Breastfed n = 35,661 participants

Total cases

Overall cancer*a

13,124

4741

17,865

13,230

3267

16,497

Pre-menopausal breast*b

942

595

1537

—

—

—

Post-Menopausal Breast*c

4055

1179

5234

—

—

—

Endometrium*d

795

266

1061

—

—

—

  Ovary*d

521

164

685

—

—

—

  Prostate

—

—

—

5548

1,252

6800

  Colon

933

297

1230

956

249

1205

  Lung

767

276

1043

895

212

1107

Malignant Melanoma of the Skin

704

273

977

690

191

881

  Rectum

362

128

490

598

140

738

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

507

161

668

541

139

680

  Kidney

238

83

321

411

117

528

  Pancreas

279

98

377

321

67

388

  Bladder

121

46

167

391

91

482

  Oesophagus

132

55

187

317

107

424

  1. *aThe sum of listed cancers will not sum to overall cancer as cancers outside the top 10 contribute to this number.
  2. *bFor pre-menopausal breast cancer the population size was 31,160 breastfed and 24,817 not breastfed.
  3. *cFor post-menopausal breast cancer the population size was 30,855 breastfed and 98,862 not breastfed.
  4. *dOwing to exclusions the population size was 136,326 breastfed and 53,053 not breastfed for endometrial cancer. The population size for ovarian cancer was 125,848 breastfed and 52,383 not breastfed.
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