Los Angeles, CA (LifeNews.com) -- A Los Angeles Times staff writer is coming under fire for denying that there is a link between abortion and developing breast cancer. In an April 12 article, Ties reporter Stephanie Simon claimed that "national cancer experts" have found no link between abortion and an increased risk of breast cancer.

This is the second time Simon has repeated the claim, according to media watchdog Dave Pierre, creator of The Media Report.

In a front page article in February, Simon discounts the link and promulgated the questionable claim that crisis pregnancy centers "gave misleading information" to pregnant women who visit their facilities.

In her article this month, Simon wrote that "Minnesota is also among several states that compel doctors to inform women that abortion may be linked to breast cancer, though national cancer experts have found no such connection."

Pierre, writing for the NewsBusters' blog that documents media bias, responded saying that "the truth is that 29 out of 41 worldwide studies reveal an abortion-breast cancer link."

"There are 17 statistically significant studies that show a link between abortion and breast cancer, 8 of which were conducted in the United States," he said.

It is "estimated that upwards of 10,000 cases of breast cancer each year presently, and up to over 25,000 per year in twenty or thirty years hence, are or will be attributable to induced abortion," Pierre explained.

Pierre indicated that many in the media point to a 2003 "workshop" conducted by the National Cancer Institute that denied the abortion-breast cancer link.

"However, the NCI meeting has been tagged as a 'scam,'" Pierre explained. "Rather than seeking the truth, it was perceived that 'eradicating the ABC link was really the sole purpose of the meeting.'"

"Recent studies that deny an ABC link have also been found to be seriously flawed and deficient," he added.

"The Times clearly owes its readers a correction," Pierre concluded.