Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer
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 Please visit this page often. We will update it as news becomes available. Please also view our Press Releases on this site for more information.
Please watch for hearings to be held in the Illinois Senate on the abortion-breast cancer link. Senator Patrick O'Malley is introducing a resolution calling for a task force to study various issues relating to the link between cancer and abortion.

Medical Elite Privately Say Abortion Causes Breast Cancer, but It’s ‘Too Political’ to Discuss Publicly (Source: Houston Catholic Worker, December, 2002) 

In a lawsuit filed against Planned Parenthood Federation of American in California Superior Court for falsely advertising the alleged safety of abortion, Angela Lanfranchi, M.D., a New Jersey breast surgeon, declared under oath that members of the nation’s medical elite are aware that abortion causes breast cancer. However, they refuse to say so publicly because it is ‘too political.’ She said to the court: 

"In September 1999 I wrote a letter to the president and each of the board members of my medical society, the American Society of Breast Surgeons. My letter … said that doctors… need to get this information (about abortion and breast cancer) to the public, and asked that an expert be invited to address the Society on this issue. Some time later I called the president, Dr. Rachel Simmons, and she told me, apologetically, that she presented it to the board but they felt it was 'too political.' 

"In March 2000 I attended the Miami Breast Cancer Conference…. I asked the conference director, Dan Osman, M.D. if he knew there was a link between abortion and breast cancer. I was stunned when he said that he did. I asked him why there couldn't be a presentation about it at the meeting. He said it was 'too political.' 

"Over the past three or four years, I have spoken with many authorities and people in a position to be well informed. Some have been straightforward and said they know it is a risk factor but felt it was 'too political' to speak about. Others have been evasive…. Some have been openly hostile…. Some initially hostile doctors … debated it with me and have changed their minds. Some pro-choice doctors have come to agree it is true and do tell their patients about the risk. Some doctors who were initially skeptical have started obtaining a complete reproductive history on their patients and found as I did that … cases of breast cancer in young women are associated with an abortion history…." (Bernardo et al. v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America et al.)

Ohio State Representative Calls For Abortion-Breast Cancer Task Force

Ohio State Representative Jean Schmidt announced her intentions to introduce a resolution which would create an Abortion-Breast Cancer Task Force. The measure was modeled after Illinois Senate Resolution 8 introduced by State Senator Patrick O’Malley in 2000. Its purpose would be to examine the 37 epidemiological studies published over the last 45 years which have explored a relationship between induced abortion and the disease and to study the available biological evidence supporting a causal relationship. Twenty-eight of the studies thus far have implicated abortion as a risk factor. 

Members of the task force would be charged with the duty to make recommendations to the legislature on how to create greater awareness of the abortion-breast cancer link. 

Schmidt promised to sponsor legislation requiring doctors to inform abortion bound women about the research if the task force concludes that there is a causal relationship. 

The House speaker would be required to appoint all members of the task force, except the minority member. 

The task force would consist of three health professionals, two House Republicans and one House Democrat. The task force will be given a November 30, 2002 deadline for the completion of its report.

British Study: Half of Expected Breast Cancer Cases "Attributable to Abortion"

London, England: British researchers from the Populations and Pensions Research Institution, an independent group of statisticians, reported that women who procure abortions double their risks of breast cancer, said The Age (England) on December 4, 2001. 

The incidences of breast cancer and abortion in Finland, Sweden and Great Britain were examined by the statisticians who concluded that the increasing frequency of the disease was directly related to a climb in the abortion rates. 

The statisticians determined that as many as one half of the cases of breast cancer in England and Wales between 1997 and 2023 “will be attributable to abortion.” Patrick Carroll, a statistician and author, revealed that breast cancer rates in England will surge from 35,110 in 1997 to 77,000 in 2023. This dramatic increase will occur because of the large number of abortions performed before first full term pregnancy. 

A woman who’s never experienced a full term pregnancy unknowingly subjects herself to greater risks for the disease by having an abortion because her breast cells are in an immature state and are especially vulnerable to carcinogens at that time. Beginning at the outset of pregnancy, estrogen levels climb 2000% and cause a terrific multiplication of breast cells. When she procures an abortion, she is left with more cancer vulnerable cells than she had prior to the pregnancy. The maturing process known as “differentiation” only takes place in the third trimester and provides a woman with more cancer resistant cells. 

Joel Brind, Ph.D., president of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, said, "This implicates a risk factor that is a matter of choice. Simply undergoing [an abortion] once measurably increases the risk of breast cancer. We are talking about thousands of cases of breast cancer over the next twenty years. This is a very sobering statistic." 

Patrick Carroll asserted that, "Breast cancer incidence has risen ... in parallel with rising abortion rates. There is no doubt there is a causal relationship. Perhaps as many as 50 percent of these cases will be attributable to abortion and unless there is a major improvement in treatment, the number of women who die from the disease will rise alarmingly."

World Net Daily Poll Reveals Opinions About Cover-Up

A poll conducted by World Net Daily addressing the question of a cover-up of the abortion-breast cancer research reported that 87.89% respondents agreed with the statement that the link between the disease and abortion was being “soft-pedaled” for political purposes. The poll was conducted on September 11, 2001 and asked the question, “Is the link between breast cancer and abortion being soft-pedaled for political purposes?” The results of the poll are shown below.

Yes 87.89% (740)

Possibly 6.29% (53)

No 3.21% (27)

Don't know 2.38% (20)

Not sure 0.24% (2)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTAL VOTES: 842

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Senate Resolution 8 defeated by slim margin

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, May 30, 2001 (RFM NEWS) On Tuesday, Senate Resolution
8 failed to pass the Illinois Senate.

Introduced by gubernatorial candidate, state Senator Patrick J. O'Malley
[R-18, Palos Park], the Resolution would have created a five member task
force to study the possible link between abortion and breast cancer.

Resolution 8, which needed 30 yes votes for passage, fell three votes short,
by a margin of 27 (y) - 20 (n) - 1(p). Three Senators who were expected to
vote yes missed the roll call vote on Senate Resolution 8, leaving the
initiative to face a precarious future.

"This is not a pro-life issue and this is not a pro-choice issue," said Karen
Malec, coordinator of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer and herself a
cancer survivor. "Resolution 8 is about informing women of the overwhelming
scientific information available on the subject. Who knows how many lives
the suppression of this information might cost."

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IL Lt. Governor fails to derail Senate Resolution on abortion/breast cancer link

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, May 24, 2001 (RFM NEWS) On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood testified before the Senate Executive Committee in an effort to derail a Senate Resolution that would call for the creation of a five member task
force that would study the possible link between abortion and breast cancer.
The measure was introduced by state Senator Patrick O'Malley [R-18, Palos
Park].

Wood, who later claimed a moral victory in her attempt to have the Senate
Resolution set aside, in actuality, had little effect on the committee
lawmakers.

"If this was a fishing expedition to test her political viability in a bid
for the gubernatorial nomination in a head to head race against O'Malley, it
failed miserably," said an Illinois legislator who preferred to remain
anonymous.

O'Malley unofficially announced his intentions to replace incumbent Governor
George Ryan on the Republican gubernatorial ticket last month at a meeting of
the Illinois Forum in Champaign.

After Wood's testimony in front of the Senate Executive Committee, one
Republican changed his vote, but only Dick Klemm [R-32, Crystal Lake]
readjusted his yes vote to a declaration of present. Vince Demuzio [D-49,
Carlinville] changed his yes vote to present as well, saying he didn't want
to get in the middle of a Wood/O'Malley feud and that, in reality, he
supported the Resolution, which eventually passed by a vote of 7 to 4.

"Corinne Wood has never expressed one concern about this Resolution in the
past," said Karen Hayes, Illinois State Director of Concerned Women for
America, the largest pro-family public policy women's organization in
Illinois. "I'm amazed that she, a cancer survivor, decided to oppose a
resolution which could help women make informed choices about their health,"
Hayes added.

Wood came under increased fire when Karen Malec, coordinator of the Coalition
on Abortion/Breast Cancer, and a cancer survivor herself, challenged Wood's
testimony with a riveting statement questioning why the Lt. Governor would
not want an investigation into the abortion/breast cancer link and why she
would not want women to be informed of the overwhelming scientific
information available on the subject.

Senate President "Pate" Philip [R-23, Wood Dale] will appoint three members
and Minority Leader Emil Jones [D-14, Chicago] will pick two individuals for
the task force.

Some political insiders see this rejection of Wood as a reflection of George
Ryan's waning influence on the GOP faithful. Other seasoned observers of
Illinois' political landscape are calling Wood's failure to head off
O'Malley's Resolution as an attempt by Gov. George Ryan to use Wood as a
Trojan horse to test O'Malley's political largesse as a gubernatorial
opponent for the 2002 Republican primary. Ryan, who had received great
national notoriety in the mainstream press concerning his call for a
moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois, has come under withering
criticism and low public approval ratings in his own state for possible legal
and ethical problems before and during his current reign as Governor.

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Illinois Senate Committee Passes Resolution to Investigate Abortion-Breast Cancer Link 

On November 29, 2000 Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, and John Kindley, Esq. testified before the Illinois Senate Executive Committee in support of Senate Resolution 214, now called SR 8.  The resolution calls for a task force to investigate the abortion-breast cancer link. 

A representative from Planned Parenthood appeared, but did not publicly speak against the resolution.    Only one witness, a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), testified against the resolution.  This is peculiar, considering the fact that the ACLU's George Annas once asserted in a patients' rights book that "even a 1 in 10,000 risk of death must always be disclosed." [George Annas, "The Rights of Patients: The Basic ACLU guide to Patient Rights," 86 (2d ed. 1992)].  Apparently, the ACLU has deviated from its own standard and raised the bar for the abortion-breast cancer risk.  One in every 100 women who procure abortions is expected to die.

The ACLU's lobbyist depended upon the usual arguments to oppose the resolution.  For instance, she argued that "recall bias" is an explanation for the studies reporting increased risk.  This is based on the hypothesis that studies depending on interviews from women to obtain abortion histories, retrospective studies, are less reliable because women diagnosed with breast cancer are allegedly more likely to report that they've had abortions than healthy women are.  It has been argued that prospective studies, studies relying on a computerized registry of abortions, are more reliable in reporting abortion history than the women themselves.   However, a number of scientists have tested for recall bias, and no one has ever found any direct evidence that this phenomenon exists in this area of research.  The 1989 Howe study, a prospective study, is often conveniently overlooked by ABC opponents.  It is completely based on fetal death certificates recorded in New York State at the!
 time of abortions.  Howe's team reported an increased risk of 90%.  [Howe et al. (1988) Int J Epidemiol 18:300-4].     

In spite of the adverse testimony, the resolution was passed in the Executive Committee by a vote of 7 to 4.  Although it was expected that a vote of the full Senate would take place the following day, Senate leaders decided to postpone it because a new session of the General Assembly would begin on January 10, 2001. There would be little time for the members of the task force to be identified and to complete a report before this date.  For these reasons, the resolution was reintroduced after the start of the new session in January, 2001 and is now known as SR 8. 

Coalition participants did have opportunities to speak with a number of senators to learn how they plan to vote on this matter.  Ironically, a number of our opponents in the Senate are women who describe themselves as "pro-choice."  Sadly, they do not support women who want to make an informed choice.  They are not pro-information or pro-life for women. 

We have spoken with some of the opponents of the resolution.  It is apparent to us that they all had virtually the same excuse for not supporting this women's health issue.  They argued that the General Assembly does not belong in health matters!  This is a blatantly disingenuous argument.  The General Assembly has been legislating abortion for 30 years.  Many legislators have parroted the abortion industry's representatives over the years by asserting that abortions were necessary for the sake of women's health.  Now that more than two dozen studies have shown the procedure to be disastrous for women's health, these same legislators tell us that they do not want to insert themselves into matters concerning health and examine the overwhelming evidence of a link.     

The hypocrisy of the resolution's opponents was evident.  Some of them supported taxpayer funded Medicaid abortions in the spring of 2000.  They opposed House Bill 709 which would have prohibited these abortions, except in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother.  Other legislators attempted to pass House Bill 3201 which would have required Catholic hospitals to violate their religious beliefs by informing rape victims where and how to acquire abortifacients (drugs which chemically induce abortions). 

The truth is that the opponents of this measure do not want the public to know about the abortion-breast cancer research.  They want to continue to cover up the evidence because they fear the predictable reaction of the public when it is learned that abortion causes breast cancer.  They fear the inevitable wrath and outrage of women who have been cruelly deceived and exploited.  They fear the loss of the next election. 

In any case, our opponents will have to explain to their constituents why they are not pro-life for women.  We expect that their constituents will recognize the intellectual dishonesty inherent in their arguments and hold them accountable for it.

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Right to Life of Vanderburgh County Produces a Video about Abortion-Breast Cancer Research 

Right to Life of Vanderburgh County has produced a video about the research implicating abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer. The Coalition urges ABC activists to purchase this inexpensive video and share it with their local community groups, legislators, and churches. The video can also be offered for free to public access TV stations and, for little cost, to cable TV stations.

Four speakers are featured in this hour-long presentation:

  • Dr. Joel Brind, Ph.D., president of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute and internationally recognized as an expert on the abortion-breast cancer research.
  • Angela Lanfranchi, M.D., a New Jersey breast cancer surgeon who has treated cancer patients with abortion histories.
  • Serrin Foster, president of Feminists for Life
  • John Kindley, Esq., and attorney who authored the 1999 Wisconsin Law Review article discussing medical mal-practice and informed consent issues, as they relate to the abortion-breast cancer research.

The video can be ordered from :
Right to Life of Vanderburgh County
5001 Plaza East. Blvd., Suite B
Evansville, IN 47715   

OR

 Email your order to 
right2life@lightdog.com

Fax your order to
812.474.3196
VHS quantities
1-9 ($15 each)

Beta Version (Broadcast Quality)
$75 each

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Missouri State Senator Proposes Informed consent legislation

Missouri State Senator Peter Kinder (R-Cape Girardeau) has proposed informed consent legislation. Senate Bill 34 would require physicians to inform women of the link between abortion and breast cancer. At least 24 hours before the expected procedure physicians would be required to inform a woman considering an abortion about the increased risk of breast cancer linked with the proposed abortion. Physicians will be required to certify in writing that their patients gave their full consent without coercion. 

Senator Kinder is the Minority Caucus Whip.

Further information can be obtained from the Missouri State Senate web site.

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English Research Shows Abortion/Breast Cancer Link.

LONDON, (ZENIT.org).- Induced abortion is contributing significantly to the recent rise in breast cancer among 40-year-old women, and is likely to cause a major increase in the incidence of the disease over the next 20 years, a researcher says.Patrick Carroll, director of the Pension and Population Research Institute, was to deliver a paper today to the Royal Statistical Society which claims that abortions carried out under the 1967 Abortion Act are mainly responsible for the recent surge in breast cancer. He predicts that, between 1993 and 2023, there will be a 60% rise in the number of women suffering from what is already the commonest form of cancer, reported the group LIFE, which commissioned the research. "My conclusions are based on the figures for abortion, breast cancer and fertility published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS)," he said in his study."ONS figures show a steep increase in breast cancer rates among women in the later 40s between 1985 and 1993," the report said. "Age at first birth and the amount of childlessness, both relevant factors, have not contributed to this rise."There may be other reasons for this increase, such as hormonal contraception and the reduction in the average size of families, but the greater incidence of abortion is probably the main factor. This conclusion is supported by data from Scotland, Sweden and Finland. The predictions are likely to be confirmed as new figures come to hand from the ONS." 

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New England Journal of Medicine Recognizes Abortion-Breast Cancer Link:

  It has been forty-three years since the first study on the abortion-breast cancer link was published in 1957. This was a study 
published in an English language publication, GANN, and it reported a 160% elevated risk of breast cancer among Japanese women following induced abortion. (Segi et al. (1957) GANN 48 (Suppl):1-63]. Subsequently, the World Health Organization published its study in 1970 and said that the results "suggested increased risk associated with abortion -- contrary to the reduction in risk associated with full-term births." [MacMahon B, et al. Bull Wld Health Org (1970); 43-209-21]. In 1980 Russo and Russo published the results of their study involving laboratory rats which confirmed a relationship between abortion and increased risk of breast cancer. [Russo & 
Russo (1980) Am J. Pathol 100:497-512].

Only three years ago the world's most influential medical journal, the 
New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), published a Danish study which denied the abortion-breast cancer link. Known as the Melbye study, these researchers concluded that "Induced abortions have no overall effect on the risk of breast cancer." [Melbye et al. (1997) NEJM 336:81-5]. Also published in the NEJM was an editorial by a National Cancer Institute epidemiologist which asserted that "a woman need not worry about the risk of breast cancer" when she contemplates an abortion. [Hartge (1997) NEJM 336:127-8]. 

On March 13, 2000 the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists became the world's first medical organization to warn its abortion providers that the abortion-breast cancer link "cannot be disregarded" and that the Brind review was "carefully conducted" and "had no major methodological shortcomings." ["Evidence-based Guideline No. 7: The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion," Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Press Conference, March 13, 2000].

Now that 27 out of 33 worldwide studies have reported a link between abortion and breast cancer (13 out of 14 of which are American studies reporting a link), the New England Journal of Medicine has chosen to recognize the evidence of an abortion-breast cancer link. In the text of an article entitled, "Assessing the Risk of Breast Cancer," by Katrina Armstrong and her associates from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine the following statement was made: "Other risk factors have been less consistently associated with breast cancer (such as diet, use of oral contraceptives, lactation, and abortion)." [Armstrong (2000) NEJM 342:564-71]. While the overwhelming weight of the evidence associating abortion with breast cancer would seem to require a more complete and emphatic statement of the facts, this statement, according to Dr. Brind, "represents a sea change from a position of full-blown denial in American organized medicine." [Joel Brind, Ph.D., "Abortion Now a "Risk Factor" According to Latest New England Journal Review, Abortion Breast Cancer Quarterly Update, Spring 2000, Vol. 4, No. 1.]

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Catholic Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota Embarks on ad campaign to educate women about Abortion-Breast Cancer Link: A coalition led by Rachelle Sauvageau, the director of the Pro-Life Office for the Catholic Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota, has embarked on a newspaper, billboard and parish bulletin ad campaign to educate women about the abortion-breast cancer link. The ads contain the web address and the toll free number for the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, an international women's organization whose purpose is to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer. 

This ad campaign coincides with a lawsuit against a Fargo abortion provider, the Red River Women's Clinic, which had been distributing a pamphlet to its clients containing false and misleading statements about the research concerning the abortion-breast cancer link. The statement from the pamphlet says, "Anti-abortion activists claim that having an abortion increases the risk of developing breast cancer and endangers future childbearing. None of these claims are supported by medical research or established medical organizations." The plaintiff, Amy Jo Mattson, alleges false advertising and is seeking injunctive relief.

Ms. Sauvageau commented on the litigation saying, "This suit is necessary to allow women to protect their own health and well-being. Our concern for women compels us to defend them against the false claims that abortion is not harmful to a woman's health, be it emotional, physical or spiritual."

Dr. Spencer Berry, a Fargo family practitioner and a member of the coalition, has prepared a slide presentation on the abortion-breast cancer link and is available for speaking engagements to counselors or the general public. Call the Pro-Life Office at the Diocese of Fargo at 701/235-6429, ext. 20 in order to schedule speaking engagements. 

There are now 27 out of 33 worldwide studies and 13 out of 14 American studies which associate induced abortion with an increased risk of breast cancer. The website for the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer provides a listing of these studies. The web address is: <www.abortionbreastcancer.com>.

The college newspaper ads and the parish bulletin notices say:

Breast Cancer Alert!

Having an abortion increases your risk of breast cancer, especially for:

Women with a family history of breast cancer.
Women who had an abortion under age 18.
Women who had an abortion in the later stages of pregnancy.

Proof: Check out the information yourself. Here's a website that has current facts:

www.abortionbreastcancer.com

What to do: If you have had an abortion or are considering an abortion, contact us for information on how to protect yourself in the future.

1-877-803-0102

The Billboard ad says:

Q. What increases your risk of breast cancer?

A. Abortion.


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Study Links Abortion to Substance Abuse and Suicide: A new study done by David Reardon of the Elliott Institute and Dr. Philip Ney, a British Columbia psychiatrist, specializing in post-abortion counseling, reports that, "Women who have an abortion are five times more likely to report subsequent substance abuse compared to women who carry to term." The study, which was published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, was the latest of at least 16 studies reporting such a link. Dr. Reardon estimates that there are 150,000 to 500,000 cases of abortion-related substance abuse each year. 

Substance abuse is a leading cause of neonatal death and malformation in pregnancy. Dr. Ney says, "I have found that women with resolved grief or trauma related to a prior abortion are more likely to feel anxiety, fear,and depression during subsequent pregnancies," Ney said. "If they are unable to legally obtain mood-altering drugs with a prescription, many of these women resort to alcohol or illegal drugs as a means of suppressing unwanted feelings about their past abortions."

The Elliott Institute reports that, "A recent major study of death certificates and government medical records in Finland has shown that the risk of death from suicide is six times higher for women who have had an abortion compared to women who gave birth. The researchers also found that the risk of dying from accidents and homicide was four and twelve times higher, respectively, in the year following an abortion."

For further information, contact David C. Reardon, Ph.D., at the Elliot Institute, (217)525-8202; or Philip G. Ney, M.D., IIPLCARR (250) 642-1848.

On-Line link to Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse article by Reardon and Ney:http://www.dekker.com/e/p.pl/0095-2990/026/001/006/abs

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Coaltion Supports the Holy See's Continued Status as Permanent Observer at the U.N.
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer supports the efforts of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute which has brought together a coalition of more than a thousand non-governmental organizations of many faiths in support of the Holy See's continued status as Permanent Observer at the United Nations.

A group of about 400 organizations led by Catholics for a Free Choice and Planned Parenthood have started a campaign to challenge the Holy See's status because of its effectiveness in defending the dignity and health of women and their families.

As a women's organization, the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer recognizes and appreciates the efforts of the Holy See to speak out in defense of the health and welfare of women and their children. We urge other organizations to sign on to this historic declaration which has brought together Evangelicals, Mormons, Moslems, Jews, atheists, and people of other faiths. 

We are providing a link to the declaration located on the web site for the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. http://www.c-fam.org/HolySee/index.html.  This is not a statement in support of Catholic beliefs. Rather, it is a statement in support of the Holy See's work on behalf of the family. A message from the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute follows.

Sincerely,
Karen Malec
Coordinator
Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer

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Illinois Lawmakers Informed of Abortion-Breast Cancer Link: On October 28, 1999 in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer sponsored a legislative briefing for Illinois lawmakers at the State of Illinois James R. Thompson Building. Dr. Joel Brind, the President of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, was one of two featured speakers at the briefing, which was well-attended by federal and state legislators, as well as members of the media. Dr. Brind informed lawmakers of the medical research linking Induced abortion with an increased risk of breast cancer. Dr. Brind has been doing research on the connection between reproductive hormones and human disease, including breast cancer, since 1982. While surveying the worldwide studies on breast cancer, he discovered the research on abortion-breast cancer link. As of this date, he has identified 26 out of 32 worldwide studies which show a connection between induced abortion and breast cancer. Dr. Brind’s peer-reviewed research paper entitled, “Induced Abortion as an Independent Risk Factor for Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review and Meta-Analysis,” was written with colleagues at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania and was published in the October, 1996 issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, a British Medical Association publication.

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Attorney Explains Potential Physician Legal Liability to Lawmakers: The second featured speaker at the October, 1999 legislative briefing sponsored by the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer was attorney John Kindley. Mr. Kindley authored a widely-read article, which received attention in Congress and was published in the Wisconsin Law Review entitled, “The Fit Between the Elements for an Informed Consent Cause of Action and the Scientific Evidence Linking Induced Abortion with Increased Breast Cancer Risk.” He discussed the legal liability which physicians face when they fail to inform abortion-bound patients of the increased risk of breast cancer. He explained that the information about the increased risk of breast cancer is material to a woman’s decision whether or not to procure an abortion and that there is sufficient evidence of a connection between abortion and breast cancer to impose a legal duty upon physicians to inform their patients.

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Ob/Gyn’s and Two Hospitals Informed of their Potential Legal Liability: Christ Hospital, located in Oak Lawn, Illinois, made the national news in the Fall of 1999 because of its involvement with live-birth abortions. Second trimester abortions are being performed there, and the babies which are born alive are left to die, sometimes in the room for soiled laundry. The hospital’s affiliate, Lutheran General Hospital, located in Park Ridge, Illinois also performs abortions. The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer mailed more than a 100 “Dear Doctor” letters to the hospitals and the ob/gyn’s on their staffs and explained to them their legal obligation to inform women of the abortion-breast cancer link. In addition, Dr. Charles Gallina, Executive Director of STOPP Planned Parenthood for Illinois, mailed 62 of our “Dear Doctor” letters via certified mail to physicians in the Springfield, Illinois area. This letter can be found on our web site, and we encourage other individuals and groups to mail the letter to the physicians in their area.

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Coalition Joins Hands with Australian Organization, Endeavour Forum: The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is pleased to announce that on December 10, 1999 it joined hands with Endeavour Forum, located in Toorak, Victoria, Australia. Babette Francis, National and Overseas Coordinator for Endeavour Forum, met with the coalition’s leaders at a hotel near O’Hare International Airport. Babette and her husband, Charles, have been spreading the word about the abortion-breast cancer link for a number of years. Charles Francis, a personal injury attorney, won a lawsuit in 1999 against a general practitioner who referred his client for an abortion, as well as the abortion clinic, the physician who performed the abortion and the clinic counselor. His client claimed that she suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the abortion and that she had not been counseled properly before the abortion.

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Illinois Senator Calls for Hearings on Abortion-Breast Cancer Link: Illinois Senator Patrick O’Malley announced at the end of the legislative briefing sponsored by the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer in October that he intended to file a resolution with the Illinois Senate calling for hearings on the abortion-breast cancer link. His resolution (SR214) calls for an Abortion-Breast Cancer Task Force, which will consist of five members of the Senate. The resolution, which calls for public meetings to be held, is expected to be called soon in the Senate. A copy of the resolution can viewed on our web site.

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