Julia Bradbury reveals fears that having kids later in life increased risk of breast cancer

Broadcaster Julia Bradbury has revealed she fears having her children later in life increased her risk of breast cancer.

The TV presenter announced her cancer diagnosis last September before undergoing a mastectomy and having a 6cm tumour removed.

Speaking about her diagnosis, the 52-year-old said she worries that having her children, Zephyr, 11, and seven-year-old twins Xanthe and Zena, over the age of 40 increased her risk of cancer.

The former Countryfile host welcomed Zephr when she was 41 and then underwent five rounds of IVF to conceive her twin daughters, after seeking treatment for endometriosis, a condition that affects fertility.

Although proud to be an older mother, Bradbury admitted that having her kids when she was over the age of 40 increased her risk of cancer.

“I love motherhood and I think there are certain life skills you have more experience with when you’re older,” she told the Sun.

“But if you have your children later in life, that increases your risk of breast cancer, so does being a tall woman, as does being extensively on the Pill.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, the older a woman is when she has her first full-term pregnancy, the higher her risk of breast cancer.

On top of that, research has found that taller women have an increased risk of breast cancer, while the contraceptive pill has been found to slightly increase the risks of getting the disease.

Bradbury also spoke about how she has “reset” her lifestyle following her diagnosis last year and has made her health a top priority.

She shared: “So the real focus for me is what I do have in life, the statistics are that one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. It’s made me reset and relook at my health, my lifestyle, and my nutrition.”

Bradbury added that she’s grateful she will be able to see her children grow up and said she is doing all that’s within her power to stay healthy after her cancer treatment, including yoga and meditation.

Last October, she underwent a mastectomy during which her breast plus two lymph glands and a 6cm tumour were removed before reconstruction took place.

Her diagnosis followed a mammogram she booked in July 2021 on an annual recall, having found a lump which proved to be a cluster of benign micro-cysts in 2020.