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Julia Bradbury worries that having children after age 40 increased her risk of breast cancer-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro
She has three children.
The TV presenter was diagnosed in September last year (Picture: Getty/Instagram)
Julia Bradbury has spoken on her fears that having children later down the line increased her risk of breast cancer.
The presenter, 52, announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer in September last year, before undergoing a mastectomy one month later to have a 6cm tumour removed.
Julia has been incredibly open about her experiences and fronted an ITV documentary about her battle with breast cancer, entitled Julia Bradbury: Breast Cancer and Me.
The TV star was over the age of 40 when she had her kids – Zephyr, 11, and twins Xanthe and Zena, seven – with her twin daughters being born following five rounds of IVF with her husband.
Julia and husband Gerard Cunningham went down the IVF path after she sought treatment for endometriosis, which can affect fertility.
Despite the pride she feels about being a slightly older mother, Julia has shared her concerns that this was a contributing factor to her breast cancer.
Julia has shared the ups and downs of her treatment with the world (Picture: Getty)
She told The Sun: ‘I love motherhood and I think there are certain life skills you have more experience with when you’re older.
‘But if you have your children later in life, that increases your risk of breast cancer, so does being a tall woman, as does being extensively on the Pill.’
According to the NHS, having children or having children later in life may ‘slightly increase’ your risk of developing breast cancer because ‘your exposure to oestrogen is not interrupted by pregnancy.’
BreastCancer.org also explain that breast cancer risk reduction from pregnancy doesn’t kick in until about 20 years after a woman’s last pregnancy.
Julia underwent a mastectomy last October (Picture: Instagram)
They detail a study which found that women younger than 55 who had a full-term pregnancy had a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer during the study.
Taking the combined contraceptive pill also increases the risk of breast cancer very slightly (but it also decreases the risk of ovarian and womb cancer) and with regards to height, many studies have indicated that taller women have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Cancer Research UK says women who are taller than average have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer after the menopause. It is not clear why this is, but it could be due to different hormone levels in taller women.
It’s important to remember that a number of factors can contribute to a breast cancer diagnosis, including ones beyond your control (family history, age you start your period, genetics, etc.) as well as ones you can control (weight, fitness levels, smoking, etc.)
Julia Bradbury says it was a ‘big decision’ to make her cancer battle so public with a documentary (Picture: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Elsewhere in her interview with the outlet, Julia spoke about how her mastectomy made her appreciate her life more.
‘The real focus for me is what I do have in life, the statistics are that one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime,’ she said.
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‘It’s made me reset and relook at my health, my lifestyle and my nutrition.’
Julia now meditates daily and does a lot of breathing exercises to manage her well-being, as well as trying to eat a healthy diet.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
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