Can being on the contraceptive pill cause breast cancer?

Question

I always heard this was a myth. But today i came across a report on www.preventcancer.com (ran by the cancer prevention coalition) that said that it does increase the risk. It also said this was particularly the case in women who started the pill in their teens or early 20s without having a full term pregnancy first. so what's the truth?

Answer 1

G'day Prettyinpunkk,

Thank you for your question.

Estrogen-based pills have also been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer In rare cases, high estrogen Pills may trigger benign intracranial hypertension. The National Cancer Institute has a factsheet containing an answer to this question.

" # How do oral contraceptives affect breast cancer risk?

A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer depends on several factors, some of which are related to her natural hormones. Hormonal factors that increase the risk of breast cancer include conditions that may allow high levels of hormones to persist for long periods of time, such as beginning menstruation at an early age (before age 12), experiencing menopause at a late age (after age 55), having a first child after age 30, and not having children at all.

A 1996 analysis of worldwide epidemiologic data conducted by the Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer found that women who were current or recent users of birth control pills had a slightly elevated risk of developing breast cancer. The risk was highest for women who started using OCs as teenagers. However, 10 or more years after women stopped using OCs, their risk of developing breast cancer returned to the same level as if they had never used birth control pills, regardless of family history of breast cancer, reproductive history, geographic area of residence, ethnic background, differences in study design, dose and type of hormone, or duration of use. In addition, breast cancers diagnosed in women after 10 or more years of not using OCs were less advanced than breast cancers diagnosed in women who had never used OCs. To conduct this analysis, the researchers examined the results of 54 studies. The analysis involved 53,297 women with breast cancer and 100,239 women without breast cancer. More than 200 researchers participated in this combined analysis of their original studies, which represented about 90 percent of the epidemiological studies throughout the world that had investigated the possible relationship between OCs and breast cancer (2).

The findings of the Women’s Contraceptive and Reproductive Experiences (Women’s CARE) study were in contrast to those described above. The Women’s CARE study examined the use of OCs as a risk factor for breast cancer in women ages 35 to 64. Researchers interviewed 4,575 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 1994 and 1998, and 4,682 women who did not have breast cancer. Investigators collected detailed information about the participants’ use of OCs, reproductive history, health, and family history. The results, which were published in 2002, indicated that current or former use of OCs did not significantly increase the risk of breast cancer. The findings were similar for white and black women. Factors such as longer periods of use, higher doses of estrogen, initiation of OC use before age 20, and OC use by women with a family history of breast cancer were not associated with an increased risk of the disease (3).

In a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored study published in 2003, researchers examined risk factors for breast cancer among women ages 20 to 34 compared with women ages 35 to 54. Women diagnosed with breast cancer were asked whether they had used OCs for more than 6 months before diagnosis and, if so, whether the most recent use had been within 5 years, 5 to 10 years, or more than 10 years. The results indicated that the risk was highest for women who used OCs within 5 years prior to diagnosis, particularly in the younger group (4). "

I would speak to your doctor about it but I wouldn't change my contraception as yet because there is some conflict in the evidence

I have attached sources for your reference.

Regards

Answer 2

Contraceptive pill as the cause of breast cancer is very possible yet it is not a a concrete rule. I would say, it is the same situation as in saying "Smoking causes lung cancer", yet not all smokers get lung cancer and not all non-smokers was ever safe from getting lung cancer.

What I am trying to say is that taking oral contraceptive pill is one of the known risks or possible cause of getting breast cancer. OCP consist of hormones which alters the normal hormonal functions of your body thus there is really a high possibility of it to make some alterations in normal cytological functions of your body.

Many researches had been speculating diferent theories yet they have not pointed out a concrete conclusion so far to make a rule as OCP as a definite cause of breast cancer. You see, there are various factors also that contribute to getting cancer - the diet, environment, your immnune system condition, and so on and so forth.

Some researchers say those who started pill at young age and the same as what you described got high chances of getting breast cancer. There are variable speculations on this matter yet I will say once again that the conclusion has not been deducted to make a rule.

Therefore with all the findings of researches no matter how conflicting they are, just gives you a hint of the possibility of the risks you are facing by taking OCP. Some will say it is true that it can cause breast cancer yet some will say it is not. It is all up to you to take the risks.

If you are taking OCP however, my best advice is for you to know very well breast self examination and have a periodic check up. That will help to ease your worries and will be beneficial for an early detection just in case.

Answer 3

i don't understand of any information superhighway pages to refer you to however the pill would reason maximum cancers sure. My mom has had breast maximum cancers two times. Her maximum cancers fed off estrogen, which of course is interior the pill. After her chemotherapy she became into placed on a pill that made her circulate by menopause to diminish the tiers of estrogen in her physique. i surely am on the backside dose pill on the industry because of the fact of my kin historic previous. So sure, the pill can definately reason maximum cancers.