Many of us have read about a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggesting that hormonal birth control slightly increases the risk of breast cancer. While this is new information that has not had time to be fully evaluated by the American College of OB/GYN, we recognize how scary this information sounds on its face, but also want to highlight that the study showed a very small increase risk for women in their teens, 20s and 30s.
It’s also very important to understand that birth-control, in preventing pregnancy, lowers a number of other risks associated with being pregnant, and to also take into account that birth-control pills and other hormonal birth control methods that prevent ovulation significantly decrease ovarian and uterine cancer risk. Weighing all of that information together, we do not plan to make any abrupt changes in our prescribing patterns, and suggest that each individual patient speak with her physician about her particular risk, and make an informed decision based on balanced information.
As the attached article highlights:
That may sound scary (but) the illness is fairly rare among women in the age group studied.
“A 20 percent increase of a very small number is still a very small number,” says Mia Gaudet, an epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society. The risk contributed by hormonal contraception, she says, is similar to the extra breast cancer risk contributed by physical inactivity, excessive weight gain in adulthood, or drinking an average of one or more alcoholic drinks per day.
As more information is revealed about the study we will let you know what we find out.
If you would like to discuss this further with your provider please make an appointment and we would be happy to discuss the best option for you.