Is there a link to hormonal birth control and breast cancer?
Hormonal Birth Control and Breast Cancer
There have been studies for decades that birth control contraceptives containing both estrogen and progestogen (progestin), which are synthetic versions of female hormones, may increase the risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer. The longer the use of oral contraceptives, the greater the chance of cervical cancer. One study showed a 10% increase risk for less than 5 years of use and a 60% increased risk with 5-9 years of use oral contraceptive use and doubling the risk with more than 10 years of oral contraceptive use.
There have also been studies that has shown that birth control contraceptives showed a reduced risk of ovarian, endometrial and colorectal cancers.
A recent study published by the journal PLOS Medicine states that there is in fact a link between breast cancer and progestogen-only contraceptives. There was limited data whether progestogen (progestin)-only contraceptives had a link with breast cancer. The reason why this study was done was that there was a substantial increase of progestogen (progestin)-only contraceptives over the last decade. In 2020, in the UK, there was almost as many prescriptions for oral progestogen (progestin)-only contraceptives as for combined oral contraceptives.
In this recent study, it showed that there was a relative increase of 20%-30% increase in breast cancer risk associated with current or recent use of either combined oral or progestogen (progestin)-only contraceptives.
The study also found that on average, 44% of women with breast cancer and 39% of matched controls had a hormonal contraceptive prescription about 3 years before the cancer diagnosis with half of the prescriptions being for progestogen (progestin)-only preparations.
The underlying risks of breast cancer increases with advanced age.
Should you consume birth control if you have a family history of breast cancer? Studies have shown that oral contraceptive users with a family history of breast cancer increases breast cancer risk in young women with BRCA 1/2 gene mutations.
As always consult with your physician.
Sources:
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet
https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004188