Norwegian Study Confirms Birth Control Pills Up Breast Cancer Risk

British doctors report that a large study of Norwegian and Swedish women reinforces earlier findings that use of a birth control pill can increase the risk of breast cancer by about 25 percent.

The Norwegian Women and Cancer Study examined the lifestyles of 96,362 women, of whom developed breast cancer. The risk was higher for those on oral contraceptives for more than three years.

British medical organizations said the study's findings appeared to confirm the results of earlier, smaller studies oral which have show that birth control pills increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, particularly when used in the later period of reproductive life

"Women should take the slight increased risk into account when deciding to take the pill and, if worried, should speak to their general practitioner," a spokesperson for Cancer Research UK said. "It's something they should consider as part of the whole picture."

Other Sources: Cancer Research UK