Summary:
Oral Contraceptives Associated with Breast Cancer
Oral contraceptive use is associated with an increase in breast
cancer risk among pre-menopausal women or women younger than 50
years old.
Study published in
the Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2006 explored the possible
association between oral contraceptive use and risk of developing
breast cancer. The researchers carried out a meta-analysis of
case-control studies conducted in 1980 or later in order to
investigate the possible connection between oral contraceptive use
and breast cancer risk in pre-menopausal women. (The researchers
assumed that most women under 50 years old were pre-menopausal).
After searching the MEDLINE and PubMed databases for studies, 34
eligible studies were found. Overall, oral contraceptive use was
associated with an increase in breast cancer risk in pre-menopausal
women. Additionally, the greatest risk appears to be for women who
have given birth and used oral contraceptives before their first
full-term pregnancy.1
1Oral
Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor for Premenopausal Breast Cancer:
A Meta-Analysis. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. October 2006. 81(10): 1290-1302.
