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All Types of Hormonal Birth Control Share a Slightly Increased Risk of Breast Cancer...

For people who want to prevent pregnancy, birth-control drugs come with an obvious reward. They also come with some small risks—including, for some forms, a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. This has long been known about the most popular type: combined hormonal birth control, which is available in pill, patch, and ring form. These all contain both estrogen and progestin, a synthetic version of the naturally occurring reproductive hormone progesterone.

Less is known about the breast-cancer risks of progestin-only birth control, a type that’s growing in popularity because it only contains one hormone. By eliminating estrogen, these methods cut out some of the risks associated…

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 Birth control methods that use one hormone raise breast cancer risk as much as those with a combo, study finds

Birth control pills containing both estrogen and progestogen are known to slightly elevate one's risk of breast cancer. The same is true of IUDs, new research shows.

Articles of Interest

Hormonal Contraception and Breast Cancer Risk

In sum, there appears to be an increased risk of breast cancer in women using combined oral contraceptives, regardless of progestin component or monophasic versus extended cycle administration. An increased risk was also identified in levonorgestrel-only oral and nonoral products. However, most women who choose to use these methods of contraception do not expose themselves to long-term breast cancer risk and may benefit from reduction of other types of cancer later in life.

Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk

Overall, however, these studies have provided consistent evidence that the risks of breast and cervical cancers are increased in women who use oral contraceptives, whereas the risks of endometrial, ovarian, and colorectal cancers are reduced

Study finds same small rise in breast cancer risk in many forms of hormonal birth control

Pills, patches, implants, and injections — the various forms of hormonal birth control have different formulations and doses of estrogen, progestin, or both. One might think, then, that they may have an unequal influence on breast cancer risk, but a new study in PLOS Medicine on Tuesday suggests that’s not so. The analysis found that most forms of hormonal birth control, regardless of their formulation, seem to confer roughly the same, small increase to breast cancer risk.

The pill and cancer: Is there a link?

Most birth control pills contain man-made versions of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. So, are they putting you at risk for cancer?