Preventing breast cancer in the years after childbirth
Official title: Targeted Prevention of Postpartum-Related Breast Cancer (PRBC)
Funded at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville · NIH-11298953 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Jacksonville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Jacksonville, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $422,889 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA262393-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11298953 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women within about five years after giving birth, especially those with benign breast disease or a family history of breast cancer.
✕Less likely to help
People who have never been pregnant, whose cancers are unrelated to postpartum changes, or men are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
This project looks at how the breast heals after weaning and whether that healing process causes inflammation that raises cancer risk. Researchers will examine breast tissue samples and biopsies, review medical records for NSAID (like aspirin) use, and use lab models to link inflammation to cancer development. The team will combine lab work with studies of women’s medical data to see if blocking inflammation could stop postpartum-related breast cancers. Findings could point to simple prevention steps or identify women who might benefit most.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to a low-cost way (for example, aspirin or other NSAIDs) to lower the chance of developing breast cancer after childbirth.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies and observational research have suggested NSAIDs can reduce postpartum-related breast cancer risk, but randomized prevention trials in postpartum women are still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
Jacksonville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sherman, Mark E — Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
- Study coordinator: Sherman, Mark E
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and immune changes in postpartum breast cancer
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.
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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.