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Breast Cancer Blog

By Pam Stephan, About.com Guide to Breast Cancer

Birth Control Pill Increases Breast Cancer Risk

Friday November 10, 2006
If you are a premenopausal woman who has never had a child, and you are taking oral birth control pills, you may have a 44-percent increased risk of developing breast cancer. "What's scary about is that no one has really heard about it until now, and it's been in the literature for the last decade," said Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, of Altoona Hospital in Pennsylvania. Kahlenborn based his findings on data from 34 studies. The birth control pill affects your hormone levels, which can increase your risk of breast cancer. Discuss how your risk factors and hormones may affect your health with your family doctor.

Comments

November 18, 2006 at 9:01 am
(1) Deb says:

I believe this is true. I have been taking birth control pills since I was 17-18 years old. I had a baby at at 30. Went back on the birth control. At age 35 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. There was no history in my family. So I highly agree that the birth control pill does increase.

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