Can Oral Contraceptives Increase the Risk of Breast Cancer?
Hospital-based case study conducted in Indonesia
By: Amanda Kim | March 7, 2021
Birth control has brought many benefits to today’s society. From allowing women to control the rate of marriage to changing the status of fertility, it has given women the opportunity to invest more time into their careers. In recent years, oral contraceptives have received widespread attention because of their ability to solve health problems not related to sexual activity: like acne treatment, menstrual cycle relaxation, and ectopic pregnancy. With the rise of products in the oral contraceptive industry comes pros and cons. One of the most common questions asked by users today is “can hormonal oral contraceptives increase the chance of cancer?”
With the exponential rise in the use of oral contraceptives amongst teens, it’s vital for users to understand the risks and benefits that come along with the use of hormonal oral contraceptives. Six referral hospitals in Indonesia have conducted a hospital-based study utilizing a set of data collected from cancer referral hospitals in five provinces of Indonesia (Wahidin et al., 2018). They sought to analyze the relationship between oral contraceptives and breast cancer. Let’s take a brief look at the results and findings!
Method of Study/Results
According to NCBI, out of the sample of 762 patients, 381 individuals were diagnosed with breast cancer. With breast cancer being the most common kind of cancer in Indonesia, the study gathered outside data to formulate a conclusion on the cause of such high rates of breast cancer. The set of data included oral contraceptive use, family history of benign breast tumors, age, diet, childbirth/breastfeeding status, and obesity. Although no direct answer to the cause of breast cancer was found, many studies have shown that there is an indirect relationship between breast cancer and the effects of estrogen imbalances. Through numerous studies on the correlation of breast cancer and estrogen imbalances, doctors have noticed that oral contraceptive users amongst the sample of patients were the most vulnerable to breast cancer.
Based on this multivariate analysis from NCBI shown above, records indicate that oral contraceptives — with substantial amounts of estrogen — play a role in the risk of breast cancer.
How does it work?
First, it is paramount to understand the two most commonly used types of oral contraceptives: combined oral contraceptive pills (COCs) and mini pills
Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills (COCs):
● Contain estrogen and progestin hormone
● Prevention of ovaries releasing an egg
● Thickening of cervical mucus and thin lining of the endometrium
Mini pill (Progestin-Only Birth Control Pills)
● Contains the hormone progestin
● Slows the rate of an egg’s progress through the fallopian tubes
● Thickening of cervical mucus and thin lining of the endometrium
Cancer is initially caused by a DNA mutation. Breast cancer is caused by a DNA mutation in the breast cells. When breast cells are mutated, the cells will proliferate in response to the increase of estrogen. The over production, otherwise known as “estrogen dominance,” is a condition that can stimulate one’s body to develop cancerous cells (Lee, 2008). This condition is due to the inadequate levels of progestin to help balance the effects of estrogen.
Combined oral contraceptives (COCs) is a type of birth control method that involves the usage of estrogen hormones. The study found that 92% of the patients with cancer tested in Indonesia were found to be users, while the rest utilized the mini-pill (POPs) that contains progestin. Therefore, we see a connection between oral contraceptives and breast cancer, with estrogen dominant COCs playing an obviously influential role in the development of breast cancer.
Discussion:
Several findings have shown similar results to this study. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO) that specializes in cancer research, showed similar results in which the outcomes were in line with the monograph depicting the relative risk of breast cancer among current and recent oral contraceptive users (IARC, 2007). Though there are other factors that increase the risks of breast cancer, we can see that estrogen dominance has the ability to play a large role in the development of breast cancer.
Conclusion:
Through the study conducted in Indonesia and other studies conducted by the WHO, it gives us a clear idea of the correlation between oral contraceptives and breast cancer. As birth control methods become increasingly popular due to its effectiveness, it’s important for us to be aware of the potential risks and benefits of oral contraceptives.
Understanding the body and responsibly using oral contraceptives will help foster healthier livelihoods. There are many health benefits birth control pills offer, but let’s remember to feed our body with things that are only good!