Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and immune changes in postpartum breast cancer
Official title: The Tumor Microenvironment and Lymphatic Remodeling in Postpartum Breast Cancer
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11473210 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research tests whether breast changes after pregnancy make postpartum breast cancer more aggressive and whether breastfeeding or common anti-inflammatory medicines might lower that risk for women who recently gave birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $102,348 |
| NIH project number | 3R01CA267897-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11473210 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women diagnosed with breast cancer within about 10 years after giving birth, especially younger women or those who stopped breastfeeding early, would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People whose breast cancer is not linked to a recent pregnancy (for example, cancers diagnosed long after childbirth or in people who were never pregnant) are less likely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers at Columbia will study tumors and nearby breast tissue from women diagnosed with breast cancer after pregnancy to measure lymphatic growth, inflammation, and immune cell patterns. They will compare cases from women who breastfed versus those who stopped early and use laboratory models to see how early weaning changes the breast environment. The team will also test whether common anti-inflammatory drugs like NSAIDs affect the tumor microenvironment in ways that could reduce tumor spread. Findings will be used to improve risk prediction and suggest strategies to reduce aggressive postpartum breast cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify who is at higher risk of aggressive postpartum breast cancer and point to practical steps—like breastfeeding guidance or anti-inflammatory treatments—that might lower that risk or inform therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Some observational and lab studies have suggested breastfeeding and NSAID use might lower postpartum breast cancer risk, but the evidence is limited and not yet proven in large clinical studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcdonald, Jasmine Alise — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Mcdonald, Jasmine Alise
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Preventing breast cancer in the years after childbirth
This project tries to prevent breast cancer that appears within five years after giving birth by studying whether common anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin can lower that risk for women who recently had a baby or have benign breast disease.
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How immune cells and lymphatic changes after childbirth affect postpartum breast cancer
This project looks at how immune cells and lymphatic changes in the breast after childbirth may make postpartum breast cancers more likely to grow and spread, especially in women who did not breastfeed or stopped early.
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Preventing breast cancer related to childbirth
This study is looking at how having a baby might raise the risk of breast cancer in women within five years after childbirth, and it’s exploring whether certain anti-inflammatory medications could help lower that risk by examining changes in breast tissue.
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Investigating how the environment around tumors affects breast cancer after pregnancy
This study is looking at how breast cancer that happens after having a baby might be different and more serious, and it aims to find ways to help young women who face this challenge by understanding what happens in the tumor environment during this time.
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Investigating how the environment around tumors affects breast cancer after pregnancy
This study is looking at how pregnancy might change the way breast cancer behaves, especially for new moms, to find ways to lower the risk and improve treatment for those who develop postpartum breast cancer.
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Wearable tech to track blood loss during childbirth
A wearable device monitors cardiovascular signals to detect postpartum hemorrhage early so clinicians can act quickly to protect mothers.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.