High incidence of breast cancer among nuns (and single women)
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Breast cancer has a higher rate of incidence among nuns and single women. It woud appear that sexual activity, having children, and nursing them appears to reduce the incidence. The positive correlation between nuns and breast cancer was noted for the first time by Italian physician Bernardino Ramazzini who wondered in his 1713 why:
- "tumors of this sort are found in nuns more often than in any other women. ... Every city in Italy has several religious communities of nuns, and you seldom can find a convent that does not harbor this accursed pest, cancer, within its walls."
Original text
- Monialibus magis, quam in ceteris Mulieribus, observatur, non ob menstruorum defectum, sed potius, ut reor, ob coelibem vitam, mihi enim
The English translation above can be found in Contrary to nature: Being an illustrated commentary on some persons and events of historical importance in the development of knowledge concerning cancer (1977) by Michael B. Shimkin
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