- Researchers investigated the link between hormonal contraceptive use and breast cancer risk.
- They found that progestin-only contraceptive use increases breast cancer risk similarly to combined contraceptive use.
- They say that physicians should weigh the benefits and risks to patients of hormonal contraceptive use.
Between 2017 and 2019, around
Progestin, or progestogen, is a synthetic version of progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone.
A meta-analysis from 1996 found that people taking combined contraceptives have a slightly increased risk for breast cancer within 10 years of usage.
In recent years, progestin-only methods of contraception- including pills, injectables, implants, and intrauterine devices (IUDs)- have become more popular. In England, drug prescriptions increased from 1.9 million in 2010 to 3.3 million in 2020.
Until now, however, there has been limited research on the impact of progestin-only contraceptives on breast cancer risk.
Recently, researchers investigated the link between hormonal contraceptive use and break cancer risk.
Like combined pills, they found that progestin-only contraceptives slightly increase breast cancer risk.
The study was published in PLOS Medicine.
For the study, the researchers analyzed health records from a UK primary care database. They included data from 9,498 women aged under 50 years old with breast cancer and 18,171 women without.
Altogether, 44% of women with breast cancer and 39% of those without had a prescription for hormonal contraceptives. About half of these were for progestin-only preparations.
Other progestin-only formulations, including injectables, implants, and intrauterine devices (IUDs), increased breast cancer risk by 18%, 28%, and 21%, respectively.
The researchers added…
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