Abortion pill drug 'may fight cancer'.Byline: By Mail Reporter A CHEMICAL used in the abortion pill could provide a new weapon against breast and ovarian cancers, say researchers. The compound mifepristone Mifepristone Definition Mifepristone is a pill that can be taken as an alternative to a surgical abortion. Purpose This medication most often is used for ending early pregnancies. forms the basis of the abortion pill, given to women to terminate early pregnancies. It works by inhibiting the hormone progesterone progesterone (prōjĕs`tərōn'), female sex hormone that induces secretory changes in the lining of the uterus essential for successful implantation of a fertilized egg. , which plays a vital role in the female reproductive cycle. But researchers writing in the journal Science today reported that progesterone also seems to be a major culprit in the development of genetically driven breast and ovarian cancers. Professor Eva Lee, from the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). , US, said: "We hope it leads to new options for women with a high risk for developing breast cancer." |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion