The Breast Cancer Risk: Relationship Between Birth Control Pill And Breast Cancer

Author: Kok Siong

Birth control Pill is the drug that was taken by people to control the birth rate. This drug has been widely used in the world since 40 years ago.

The birth control Pill is welcomed by plenty of men and women since United States government approved it in 1960. The contraception can be prevented by consuming the Pill to get the similar result.

The birth control pill was the first medication ever designed for purely social, rather than therapeutic purposes. However, the high dosage Pill can cause a lot of health problems to the user.

As a result of the hearings, pharmaceutical companies reduced the dosages and doctors advised women who have the problems below should get rid of taking the Pill:

i. Obese

ii. Smoked

iii. High blood pressure

iv. Family history of blood clots

In the 1980s, the high dosage 10-milligram pill was removed from the market and biphasic and triphasic oral contraceptives were introduced. Today, women can get a prescription for a Pill containing 1 milligram of progestins, one tenth of the original dose, and containing as little as 20 micrograms of estrogen.

From the very beginning, a significant number of women complained of discomfort from the Pill and switched to other methods. When women wanted to discuss the side effects with their doctors, they often met with frustration. It was common for their complaints to be dismissed as exaggerated. In other cases their ailments were just considered the price that women had to pay in return for such an effective contraceptive. The problem was compounded by that fact that female patients were not always informed about the potential for strokes, heart attacks or blood clots while on the Pill. For the most part sharing "the Pills" risk has become a part of the information provided by health care practitioners who prescribe the Pill.

Today, the safety of the Pill is assumed. However, it is important to remember that the pill contains identical hormones to those found in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT has come under question because of the Women's Health Initiative Study showing an increase in breast cancer and heart disease for those women who were on HRT.

In October 20, 2004 headlines read "Birth Control Pill Cuts Cancer, Heart Disease Risk: Study - A new study, yet to be published, suggests women who use oral contraceptives have lower risks of heart disease, stroke, and cancer."

This study has now been denied as accurate by the WHI. Analyses by the WHI have made it clear that the recent findings were not correct?

The low dose pill today although deemed to be safe has never undergone a large government-funded study similar to the WHI study on HRT. According to Dr. John R. Lee in his book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer" women up to age 21 who use the Pill increase their lifetime risk of Breast Cancer by 600%. Caution when considering the use of Birth Control Pill should still be used.

In summary, consuming the Pill can be one of the risk factor to induce breast cancer. Therefore, we should always bear in mind to reduce the amount of Pill in our life.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/relationship-between-birth-control-pill-and-breast-cancer-3523660.html

About the Author

If you want to know more about breast cancer, you may read Fight With Breast Cancer and What Is Breast Cancer for details.