Q. Does the birth control pill increase your risk of breast cancer?

A. Since I am not a physician, in order to answer this question, I can only refer you to those who are:

In a July 29th 2005 press release, the World Health Organization openly admitted that cobined estrogen-progestogen Oral Contraceptives are carcinogenic to humans. Specifically, they said that “Use of OC’s increases risk of breast, cervix, and liver cancer.” The data was presented by a working group of 21 scientists from 8 countries convened by the cancer research agency of the WHO, the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) is a 3500 page book used by doctors that explains how drugs work. In it is the “exact copy of the product’s FDA-approved or other manufacturer-supplied labeling.” The 2006 PDR states that “a meta-analysis of 54 studies found a small increase in the frequency of having breast cancer diagnosed for women who were currently using combined oral contraceptives or had used them within the past ten years.” Upon reading this, I tracked down the original source. It was an article from the Lancet, which gathered data from over 150,000 women. It said, “The studies included in this collaboration represent about 90% of the epidemiological information on the topic, and what is known about the other studies suggests that their omission has not materially affected the main conclusions.” Some might argue that the increase in breast cancer risk is only a small one. But with 80-100 million women on the pill across the globe, the numbers certainly add up. Most recently, in October 2006, the journal of the Mayo Clinic (Mayo Clinic Proceedings) published an article entitled “Oral Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor for Pre-menopausal Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis,” authored by Chris Kahlenborn, M.D., et al. It revealed that 21 of 23 studies that followed women who took the pill prior to having their first child showed an increased risk of breast cancer. The increase was especially steep among younger women. Dr. Kahlenborn told WebMD, "Anyone who is prescribing oral contraceptives has a duty to tell women that 21 of 23 studies showed an increased risk." He added elsewhere that, “As more information comes out, it’s going to be increasingly difficult to suppress [the documented evidence from medical studies]. There’s a growing sense that it’s really just a matter of time before the lid blows on this thing. I think by the year 2010, we will start seeing a new attitude towards the pill, and it will be fueled by lawsuits.” In the Consumer's Guide to the Pill and Other Drugs it is stated that "Early-age use of the pill carries a greater risk of breast cancer, of developing larger tumors and having a worse prognosis"(2). The Pill can cause plenty of other problems as well, but click here for details on that. Many doctors do not believe there is a link between the Pill and breast cancer. But considering that the World Heath Organization, the 2006 Physician’s Desk Reference, the journal of the Mayo Clinic, and other reliable sources openly admit such a connection, I believe there is reason for concern. Should a woman be prescribed the pill for medical reasons (as my wife was, with Endometriosis and ovarian tumors), she will be glad to know that successful alternatives exist. Click here for details on that. You might wonder why the Pill would increase one's odds of developing breast cancer. Chris Kahlenborn, M.D., explains: "Two of the most important types of hormones that control reproduction are estrogens and progestins. Birth Control Pills are made from synthetic estrogens and/or progestins. Experiments have shown that these hormones cause women's breast cells to divide more rapidly, which makes them more easily affected by carcinogens - agents which cause cancer"(3). To read more on breast cancer and the Pill, I'd recommend reading Dr. Kahlenborn's book, Breast Cancer: Its Link to Abortion and the Birth Control Pill. Also check out A Consumer's Guide to the Pill and Other Drugs by John B.Wilks, Pharm. M.P.S. ___________________________________________________ FOOTNOTES 1) Cf. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Oral Contraceptive Use as a Risk Factor for Premenopausal Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis, Chris Kahlenborn, MD, et al., October 2006;81(10):1290-1302. 2) John B. Wilks, Pharm. M.P.S., A Consumer's Guide to the Pill and Other Drugs, 2nd Edition, (Stafford, Virginia, ALL inc., 1997), p. 70. 3) Chris Kahlenborne, M.D., Breast Cancer Risk from the Pill, available at www.omsoul.com .