Placental ischemia and breast cancer risk after preeclampsia: tying the knot.

Although hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, continue to be a significant source of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, there is emerging evidence that effects of the preeclamptic syndrome persist into later life. In contrast to recent studies that have reported that formerly preeclamptic women are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, it appears that preeclampsia may be associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. Recent investigations have provided exciting new insights into potential mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and some of these findings may bear relevance to the anticancer effects reported in the epidemiological literature.