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The average age
of a girl's first period is around 12. The research included
data from over 7,500 girls. Researchers are interested in
the reason for the difference in the onset of menstruation
because women who get breast cancer are more likely to have
begun menstruating before age eleven.
Finding possible
causes for breast cancer is important due to the fact that
(excluding cancers of the skin) breast cancer is the most
common form of cancer in women in the United States.
In this issue,
much is unknown and controversial. Researchers are asking
questions about these trends that are, as of yet, largely
unanswered. Researchers suggest cultural dietary changes or
environmental agents as possible role-players, but there's
no consensus on the issue.
Pediatrics
October 2002; 110: 43
National
Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations
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