You may have seen headlines recently about a new study, which found that some people who take progestin-only birth control may have a higher chance of developing breast cancer. Statements like “Progestogen-only pills reveal breast cancer risk“or”all types of hormonal birth control slightly increase the risk of breast cancer, the study found” you might have stopped.
However, there are a few things you should know before you panic about your contraceptive.
The research, that was published in PLoS Medicine, looked at women under 50 and compared those with breast cancer to those who did not. The results suggested that taking progestin-based birth control was associated with a nominally increased risk for the disease.
Progestin, which is a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone, is often used alone in contraceptives such as IUDs and hormone injections, as well as some forms of the pill. (People also refer to progestin as progesterone or progestogen.) Previous research has shown that other types of hormonal birth control, which contain both estrogen and progesteronealso bring a slightly increased risk of having breast cancer.
“The majority of the data we have is for a combination of estrogen and progesterone oral combined contraceptives,” said Dr. Katina Robison, director of gynecologic oncology at Tufts Medical Center in Massachusetts. (Robinson was not affiliated with the study.)
“There’s a big trend in progestin-only contraceptives that we use. That includes injectables and IUDs, which are incredibly common now. And then pills,” Robison said. “So, they looked at all of that, which is unique to this study.”
The UK-based study compared data from 9,498 women under 50 with breast cancer with a control group of 18,171 women without breast cancer from 1996 to 2017. But the results found, while there is a higher risk for women under 50, the percentage is incredibly low, according to Robinson.
The study found that for women ages 16 to 35 who took progestin-only birth control, the risk increased by less than 1%. So, it hasn’t changed much, Robison said.
For women 35 to 39, the increase is higher at 20% to 30%. But even this is not as scary as it sounds: Because breast cancer is more rarely in women under 50, the actual risk may increase by 20% to 30% in the study, but that equates to only an increased risk of 2% to 2.2% overall. In other words, it shouldn’t cause too much alarm, Robinson insists.
That said, the study has some limitations. The patient’s full medical history was not available, so it is not known if the patients were on other birth control methods before the study or if they had other risk factors such as family history or if they smoked. . In addition, the study focused on the short-term risk of developing breast cancer – the long-term risk of using contraception is unknown.
Additionally, birth control also comes with its benefits. Many people take birth control so they don’t have to worry about getting pregnant. Birth control can help control period cramps, make periods lighter and can prevent cysts from forming in your breasts and ovaries, according to Planned Parenthood.
What’s more, Robison says it may also help reduce your risk of certain cancers. “These progesterone-type contraceptives are used to treat endometrial cancer and pre-cancers, so there are also benefits, even cancer-related benefits, that we often don’t talk about when we see these kind of learning,” Robison said. Birth control is also known to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, she added.
If you are concerned about your breast cancer risk, talk to your doctor. Although this study shows that there is a slightly increased risk of developing breast cancer, it is not something that should be removed from your birth control.
“I think this, in my opinion, should not change any recommendations for the use of progesterone-only contraception for women. I don’t think that really changes,” Robison said.
If you’re worried, your doctor can tell you about steps you can take to reduce your risk and help you monitor for any early signs of the disease. According to Robison, maintaining a healthy diet, limiting your alcohol intake and getting regular exercise are all ways to help prevent breast cancer.
“Another thing that I think is really important is for women to know that there are genetic links to breast cancer,” she added.
If you have a family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer, it’s important to let your doctor know so they can determine if you qualify for screening or early tests. Being proactive is the best way to reduce your risk ― more so than changing a contraceptive that is otherwise working for you.
