Group Condemns Decision to Dismiss Abortion-Breast Cancer Suit
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 28, 2003
Fargo, ND (LifeNews.com) — The leader of a group that monitors the link between abortion and breast cancer condemned a decision by the North Dakota Supreme Court to dismiss a false advertising lawsuit against an abortion business that distributed materials to women considering abortions saying the link is nonexistent.
Amy Jo Kjolsrud had filed a false advertising lawsuit against the Fargo-based Red River Women’s Clinic. The state’s high court dismissed the lawsuit saying Kjolsrud had no legal standing to sue since she had never had an abortion or been to the abortion center considering one.
After Kjolsrud filed her lawsuit, the abortion business revised their pamphlet.
The pamphlet used an outdated 1996 National Cancer Institute (NCI) fact sheet. The NCI asserted in 1999 that the evidence of a relationship was "inconsistent." Yet, the pamphlet said, "The National Cancer Institute has stated, ‘there is no evidence of a direct relation between breast cancer and either induced or spontaneous abortion.’"
Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer told LifeNews.com, "The court’s decision stripped women of their right to informed consent. It gives abortion providers license to deceive women about the research with impunity. Women will die and children will lose their mothers because the abortion industry is consistently pro-death."
A lower state court ruled in 2002 that the abortion facility could use statements from NCI and the American Cancer Society which didn’t recognize a causal relationship, even though 13 out of 15 U.S. studies reported risk elevations by 2002. Most of the studies were funded at least in part by NCI.
In addition, 16 out of 17 statistically significant studies report increased breast cancer risk among women having abortions and 7 studies report a more than twofold increased risk.
Pro-life groups are concerned the media is failing to accurately report the weight of the evidence proving the abortion-breast cancer link.
Malec urged the press "not to abandon its traditional role as watchdog of government."
She added, "The NCI and the cancer fundraising industry have deceived women about the existence of the research since 1957. They’re afraid to debate the research now because they know they’ll lose. The NCI is a corrupt agency, which must be investigated. President Bush needs to clean house."
Greg Lange, one of Kjolsrud’s attorneys, said he was disappointed by the decision and hoped the court would consider the merit of the case and not just the standing issue.
Lange said he may seek a client who has had an abortion at Red River and file a new false advertising lawsuit.
Related web sites:
Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer – https://www.abortionbreastcancer.com
