New Study Reinforces Link Between Birth Control & Breast Cancer Risk

By Meera Senthilingam, CNN (CNN) — Birth control can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer by up to 38%, depending on how long she has taken it, a new study finds. The risk was associated with all forms of hormonal contraception — such as the pill, injections or IUDs — when compared with women who have never used them. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen analyzed data from 1.8 million women under the age of 50 in Denmark. They followed the women for nearly 11 years, on average. The level of breast cancer risk increased the longer a woman had been taking hormonal contraceptives, with the average risk increase being 20% among all current and recent users of these forms of contraceptives. The researchers saw a 9% increased breast cancer risk among women taking hormonal contraceptives for under a year, rising to 38% if more than 10 years. Among women who had been using hormonal contraceptives for more than five years, a slight risk persisted for at least five years after they stopped, according to the study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results suggested a “rapid disappearance of excess risk of breast cancer after discontinuation of use among women who have used hormonal contraceptives for short periods,” the authors write in the paper. The authors noted that other studies have found no evidence of a persistent risk. In an accompanying editorial, David Hunter, professor of epidemiology and medicine...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health News birth control Breast Cancer Source Type: news