There is a relative increase of around 20% to 30% in breast cancer risk associated with current or recent use of either combined oral or progestagen-only contraceptives.”
By Amanda Prestigiacomo Mar 25, 2023
Peter Dezeley via Getty Images
Hormonal contraceptives come with an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford.
The study, published in PLOS Medicine on Tuesday, showed an increased risk of around 20-30% in breast cancer linked to current or even recent use of hormonal birth control pills, including combined oestrogen and progestogen birth control pills and progestagen-only contraceptives.
The study’s abstract said the findings show that “current or recent use of progestagen-only contraceptives is associated with a slight increase in breast cancer risk,” which is “similar in magnitude to that associated with combined hormonal contraceptives.” Notably, progestagen-only contraceptive use has substantially increased in recent years.
Researchers also found that the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women taking these forms of birth control increased with age. “Given that the underlying risk of breast cancer increases with advancing age, the absolute excess risk associated with use of either type of oral contraceptive is estimated to be smaller in women who use it at younger rather than at older ages,” the paper said.
The new findings, combined with past research on hormonal contraceptives, “suggest that the 15-year absolute excess risk of breast cancer associated with use of oral contraceptives ranges from 8 per 100,000 users for use from age 16 to 20 to about 265 per 100,000 users for use from age 35 to 39.”
This heightened risk is found to gradually decrease in the years after women stop taking the contraceptives.
Researchers based their findings on data from nearly 30,000 women — 9,498 women who developed invasive breast cancer between the ages 20 and 49, and 18,171 women without breast cancer of similar age.
Despite the risks associated with hormonal contraceptives, Claire Knight of Cancer Research U.K., which funded the study, seemed to shy away from outright discouraging its use.
“Women who are most likely to be using contraception are under the age of 50, where the risk of breast cancer is even lower,” Knight said, according to The Guardian. “For anyone looking to lower their cancer risk, not smoking, eating a healthy balanced diet, drinking less alcohol, and keeping a healthy weight will have the most impact.”
“There are lots of possible benefits to using contraception, as well as other risks not related to cancer,” she added. “That’s why deciding to take them is a personal choice and should be done after speaking to your doctor so you can make a decision that is right for you.”
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion and contraception activists have been rallying for increased “access” to both abortion and birth control measures. Back in July, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received its first application for an over-the-counter birth control pill from HRA Pharma, a company that praised the move as a step toward “reproductive equity.”
“This historic application marks a groundbreaking moment in contraceptive access and reproductive equity in the U.S.,” said Frédérique Welgryn, Chief Strategic Operations and Innovation Officer at HRA Pharma, in a statement. “More than 60 years ago, prescription birth control pills in the U.S. empowered women to plan if and when they want to get pregnant. Moving a safe and effective prescription birth control pill to OTC will help even more women and people access contraception without facing unnecessary barriers.”
The contraceptive from HRA Pharma is a daily progestin-only pill, sometimes known as the “mini pill.” Progestins are synthetic forms of the hormone progesterone.
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