One of the largest studies on women (1.8 million women) tracked the effect of the use of hormonal birth control pills on risk of breast cancer. Read on to know the findings:
The study:
Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine published a research conducted by a team of scientists in Denmark. They studied 1.8 million women between the ages of 15 and 49 over a stretch of approximately 11 years. They were looking for women who used hormonal birth control — usually a combination of estrogen and progestin — versus women who relied on non-hormonal contraceptive methods, such as a condom, diaphragm or copper IUD. The study tracked the effect of the pill as well as other hormonal methods such as the patch, the ring, and hormone-releasing IUD implants.
Findings:
The study found that the risk of breast cancer was higher among women who currently or recently used contemporary hormonal contraceptives than among women who had never used hormonal contraceptives, and this risk increased with longer durations of use; however, absolute increases in risk were small.
Opinions:
David Hunter, who wrote a commentary on the Danish study and is a professor of epidemiology & medicine at University of Oxford, Britain says “In aggregate, over a woman’s lifetime, contraceptive use might prevent more cancers. There is good data to show that five or more years of oral contraceptive use substantially reduces ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer risk, and may reduce colorectal cancer. And the protection persists for 10 or 20 years after cessation.”
Experts point out that the overall risk was miniscule with only 1 extra case of breast cancer among 7,700 women using such contraceptives per year. Thus explaining, that women should evaluate the results against the benefits of the pill for other cancers.
Critics also point out that although the study accounted for risk factors such as education, childbirth and family history, it failed to account for low physical activity(sedentary lifestyle), alcohol use, breastfeeding etc.
Recommendation:
- David Hunter suggested that research for newer types of hormone based contraceptives that don’t elevate the risk of breast cancer should continue.
- When women visit their Gynecologist, they should engage in a conversation about best contraceptive methods and which suits them most.
- For women above the age of 40, other contraceptives such as non-hormonal IUDs, tubal ligation, condom or diaphragm use should be considered. Partners may also want to opt for vasectomies to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Reference of the study:
Contemporary Hormonal Contraception and the Risk of Breast Cancer
Lina S. Mørch, Ph.D., Charlotte W. Skovlund, M.Sc., Philip C. Hannaford, M.D., Lisa Iversen, Ph.D., Shona Fielding, Ph.D., and Øjvind Lidegaard, D.M.Sci.
N Engl J Med 2017; 377:2228-2239 December 7, 2017 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1700732
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1700732
