Breast Cancer Health Center

The Birth Control Pill and Breast Cancer Risk

Does the Risk of Breast Cancer Associated With Birth Control Pills Vary by Age?

Yes, according to the latest research. A study of more than 100,000 women suggests that the increased breast cancer risk associated with birth control pills is highest among older women. The study found that the risk of breast cancer was greatest among women aged 45 and over who were still using the pill. This group of women was nearly one-and-a-half times as likely to get breast cancer as women who had never used the pill.

But experts caution that many of the women were using older birth control pills that contained higher doses of hormones. Today's lower-dose birth control pills are thought to reduce this risk.

Do Birth Control Pills Reduce the Risk of Any Other Cancers?

Yes. The pill's protective effect against ovarian cancer has been well documented. Ovarian cancer risk is reduced by as much as 30%-50% among women taking birth control pills for at least three years. New studies show that as little as six months of use can dramatically reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, and that protective effect increases the longer a woman is on the pill.

And a new study suggests oral contraceptives may also reduce the risk of colorectal cancers. The European study found that women who had ever used birth control pills were about 20% less likely to develop colorectal cancers than women who had never used the pills. The reduced risk was great even if the woman had used the pills recently.