Many women may be under the impression that oral contraceptives (OCs) pose no real threat to their health, but a comprehensive review appearing in the October issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, says that pre-menopausal women using OCs have a significantly increased risk of developing breast cancer. The researchers pooled together existing studies regarding pre-menopausal breast cancer, and identified OCs as a leading cause in 21 out of 23 of the studies. Many women may find it surprising, perhaps shocking, that studies linking OCs with breast cancer exist while public awareness of the risks are negligible, or confused. It was this unacceptable situation that led Chris Kahlenborn, of Altoona Hospital in Pennsylvania, to undertake this latest review.
"As I studied the medical literature, I noticed that a trend appeared," says Dr. Kahlenborn. "Namely, OC use prior to first-term pregnancy seemed to consistently increase the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer. Although the trend was apparent, pre-menopausal women have continued to hear that OCs are basically safe."
Kahlenborn's review showed that pre-menopausal women taking OCs had a 44 percent increased risk of developing breast cancer. Even more alarming, says Kahlenborn, is the fact that, in 2005, the World Health Organization officially classified OCs as class one carcinogens. With such research readily available there are no excuses for doctors not to inform patients of the risks associated with OCs, which Kahlenborn describes as a: "clear-cut informed consent issue."
Kahlenborn considers the current divide between known OC risks and public awareness "staggering," especially since more than 45,000 women each year develop breast cancer prior to menopause. "My hope is that physicians will provide more detailed information to their patients about hormonal contraceptives," says Kahlenborn.
Source: Mayo Clinic
