The authors of the study published in "Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica" conducted an extensive nationwide research based on medical registers. The study included 31,687 women diagnosed with breast cancer from 1972 to 2021, alongside a control group of 158,433 women matched by age and the number of births. This large scale approach allows for more accurate insights into the relationship between reproductive health events and cancer risk.

Crucially, the information on cancer diagnoses was sourced from the Finnish National Cancer Registry, while data regarding abortions and miscarriages were taken from mandatory medical records. This method addresses the shortcomings of previous research, which often relied on interviews with patients that could be biased or incomplete. By using official records, this study aims to provide a more definitive answer to the longstanding questions surrounding the implications of abortion and miscarriage on breast cancer.

As the findings emerge from reliable data, they hold significant implications for public health, especially in discussions surrounding women's reproductive rights and healthcare decisions. If a clear link is established, it could influence guidelines for clinical practice and patient education regarding breast cancer risks, and potentially reshape conversations about the societal and medical perspectives on abortion and reproductive health.