Preeclampsia and maternal breast cancer risk by offspring gender: Do elevated androgen concentrations play a role?

Abstract

Among older mothers, preeclampsia in the first pregnancy was associated with a reduction in maternal breast cancer risk that was significantly more pronounced in women bearing male than female infants. Androgen concentrations in male, preeclamptic pregnancies were consistent with the hypothesis that elevated pregnancy androgens might mediate this apparent modifying effect of fetal gender. © 2007 Cancer Research UK.