The chances of suffering from breast cancer are increased by the use of the contraceptive pill , according to a new study carried out by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle (USA) and published in the journal Cancer Research .
In the research, the scientists conducted an analysis of 1,102 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer between the ages of 20 and 49 . They compared these data with a similar group of women who did not develop the disease, concluding that the chances of having breast cancer increase with the use of oral contraceptives by more than 50% on average .
Depending on the amount of estrogen in the birth control pills, the risk varied or not. Thus, with moderate doses of estrogens, the risk increased up to 60% . At low doses, there was no variation. The researchers found that when this drug was stopped, the risk levels returned to normal.
“Breast cancer is rare in young women and there are numerous health benefits associated with the use of oral contraceptives that must be considered. Women should not stop taking the pill based on this study . It must be taken into account that these results have not yet been replicated and it is important to evaluate the benefits and risks of the use of oral contraceptives, so we cannot make any clinical recommendation based on the results of this single study ”, says Elisabeth F. Beaber, study leader.
