Joel Brind

Dr. Joel Brind is a pro-life born again Christian, scientist, and a leading advocate of the abortion-breast cancer hypothesis. [ [http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0410.mooney.html "Research and Destroy"] by Chris Mooney] He is a professor of biology and endocrinology at Baruch College and critiques abortion-breast cancer studies.

Advocacy

Brind has worked as a consultant and expert witness for pro-life groups like Christ's Bride Ministries, and has fought against the legalization of RU-486 testifying at a federal hearing that "thousands upon thousands" of women would develop breast cancer as a result of using the drug.cite web |url=http://www.cwfa.org/familyvoice/2000-11/14-19.asp |title=Concerned Women for America - Family Voice |format= |work= |accessdate=] Brind was an invitee to the National Cancer Institute's conference on the ABC issue [ [http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/ere-workshop-report NCI workshop findings] ] where he filed the minority dissenting comment. [ [http://cancer.gov/cancer_information/doc.aspx?viewid=15e3f2d5-5cdd-4697-a2ba-f3388d732642 Minority dissenting opinion] ]

Media coverage

Brind has been mischaracterized by some pro-choice advocates and publications. In Joyce Arthur's article she claims Brind believes "miscarriages are caused by a lack of pregnancy hormones." [Arthur, Joyce. January 2002. [http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/articles/abclink.shtml Abortion and Breast Cancer — A Forged Link] ] In fact, Brind and reproductive experts are aware miscarriages usually are not "caused", but rather are "characterized" by a lack of hormones. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20050307221417/http://www.st-marys.nhs.uk/specialist/miscarriage_clinic/causes.htm web.archive.org] st-marys.nhs.uk – What causes recurrent miscarriage?] "(See also: ABC section)" A Women's eNews article [Woodbury, Margaret A. 2002-02-17. [http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/818/context/cover/ Judge to Rule on Abortion, Breast Cancer Link] ] states that Brind wrote in a pro-life publication where he implies the term "recall bias" is manufactured. It was actually the evidence from the Rookus study [Rookus, MA. 1996-12-04. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8944006 Induced abortion and risk for breast cancer: reporting (recall) bias in a Dutch case-control study] ] that Brind considered "artificially manufactured." [ [http://www.pregnantpause.org/safe/abcking.htm World Conference on Breast Cancer] ]

Meta-analysis

Dr. Brind "et al." (1996) conducted a meta-analysis of 23 epidemiologic studies.cite journal |author=Brind J, Chinchilli VM, Severs WB, Summy-Long J |title=Induced abortion as an independent risk factor for breast cancer: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis |journal=Journal of epidemiology and community health |volume=50 |issue=5 |pages=481–96 |year=1996 |pmid=8944853 |doi=] It calculated that there was on average a relative risk of 1.3 (1.2 - 1.4) increased risk of breast cancer. The meta-analysis was criticized for selection bias by using studies with widely varying results, using different types of studies and not working with the raw data from several studies, and including studies that have methodological weaknesses.cite web |url=http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/state-abortion-restrictions/reports/anti-choice-claims-about-abortion-breast-cancer-5095.htm |title=Planned Parenthood - Anti-Choice Claims About Abortion and Breast Cancer |accessdate=2007-11-04 |format= |work=plannedparenthood.org]

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in March 2000 published evidence-based guidelines on women requesting induced abortion. The review of the available evidence at the time was "inconclusive" regarding the ABC link. They also noted "Brind's paper had no methodological shortcomings and could not be disregarded." However, in 2003 the RCOG concluded that there was no link between abortion and breast cancer. [cite web |url=http://www.rcog.org.uk/resources/Public/pdf/induced_abortionfull.pdf |title=The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion |accessdate=2007-11-07 |format= |work=Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists] Some of the ABC studies RCOG reference as evidence (pg. 77) have been heavily criticized by Brind in 2005.cite web |url=http://www.jpands.org/vol10no4/brind.pdf |title=A Critical Review of Recent Studies Based on Prospective Data |accessdate=2008-04-01 |format= |work=jpands.org |author=Joel Brind]

Criticism

However, many believe Brind overlooks methodological weaknesses of some studies he uses as evidence for an abortion-breast cancer link. Furthermore, medical researchers note Brind overstates his findings since his own research shows a "barely statistically significant" increase in breast cancer rates. [SkepticFiles.org: [http://www.skepticfiles.org/american/aane1178.htm Study Linking Breast Cancer, Abortion Widely Criticized] ] In reaction to the criticism an editor of the journal that published Brind's study noted with concern:

However, in the light of recent unease about appropriate but open communication of risks associated with oral contraceptive pills, it will surely be agreed that open discussion of risksis vital and must include the people – in this case the women – concerned. I believe that if you take a view (as I do), which is often called 'pro-choice', you need at the same time to have a view which might be called 'pro-information' without excessive paternalistic censorship (or interpretation) of the data.cite journal |author=Donnan S |title=Abortion, breast cancer, and impact factors--in this number and the last |journal=J Epidemiol Community Health |volume=50 |issue=6 |pages=605 |year=1996 |month=December |pmid=9039374 |pmc=1060372 |doi= |url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=9039374 |accessdate=2008-08-21]

References

External links

* [http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/wsas/departments/natural_science/faculty/brind.html Baruch.cuny.edu] – Brind faculty page
* [http://www1.umn.edu/phrm/cal/brindbio.html Brind biography]
* [http://www.barryyeoman.com/articles/hatedabortion.html Discover: The Scientist Who Hated Abortion] by Barry Yeoman