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Since the early 1960s, oral contraceptives have become the most popular and
one of the most effective forms of birth control used in the U.S. But an
association between estrogen and an increased risk of breast cancer has led to a
continuing debate about the role birth control pills may play in developing
breast cancer.
For most women, especially young women, experts say the benefits of birth
control pills far outweigh the risk. But here are some frequently asked
questions and answers about the controversy.
Does taking birth control pills increase my risk of developing breast cancer?
Maybe. Studies that have examined the use of oral contraceptives as a risk
factor for breast cancer have produced conflicting results. Some researchers
think this might be due to the fact that the level of hormones in birth control
pills has changed since they were first studied. Early birth control pills
contained much higher levels of hormones than today's low-dose pills.
In general, most studies have not found an overall increased risk of breast
cancer due to the use of oral contraceptives.
Two studies from the mid-1990s found a slightly increased risk of developing
breast cancer in current or recent users of birth control pills compared to
women who had never used the pills. But the same research found that 10 years or
more after women stopped using birth control pills, their breast cancer risk
returned to the same level as if they had never used birth control pills.
My family has a history of breast cancer. Should I take birth control pills?
Maybe. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association found that women with a strong family history of breast cancer
may have up to an 11 times higher risk of breast cancer if they have ever taken
"the pill." But experts caution that the study involved mainly women
who took birth control pills prior to 1975, when it contained much higher levels
of the hormones estrogen and progestin than today's lower-dose pill.
Women should discuss their family history of cancer with their doctor when
evaluating the risks and benefits of using birth control pills.
Does the risk of breast cancer associated with birth control pills vary by
age?
Yes, according to the latest research. A recent study of more than 100,000
women suggests that the increased breast cancer risk associated with birth
control pills is highest among women over age 45. The study found that the risk
of breast cancer was greatest among women aged 45 and over who were still using
the pill. This group of women was nearly one-and-a-half times as likely to get
breast cancer as women who had never used the pill.
But experts caution that many of the women were using older birth control
pills that contained higher doses of hormones. Today's lower-dose birth control
pills are thought to reduce this risk.
Do birth control pills reduce the risk of any other cancers?
Yes. The pill's protective effect against ovarian cancer has been well
documented. Ovarian cancer risk is reduced by as much as 30%-50% among women
taking birth control pills for at least three years. New studies show that as
little as 6 months of use can dramatically reduce the risk of ovarian cancer,
and that protective effect increases the longer a woman is on the pill.
And a new study suggests oral contraceptives may also reduce the risk of
colorectal cancers. The European study found that women who had ever used birth
control pills were about 20% less likely to develop colorectal cancers than
women who had never used the pills. The reduced risk was great even if the woman
had used the pills recently.
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