Contraception and Breast Cancer
You have posed the question on your website on the increase of the incidence of breast cancer. To date, no absolute cause of breast cancer has been determined. And yet, cancer rates are increasing worldwide. And nearly half of all cancers occur in industrialized, developed nations. Perhaps we need to ask a few questions. What is going on in our developed world that has propelled cancer rates to such alarming levels?
Your Answer According to stopcancer.org, a growing number of people, including scientists, activists and women living with cancer, believe there is most certainly a connection between environmental toxins from industrial and agricultural chemicals, from nuclear power stations and power lines, from ordinary' household products and medical x-rays and the high incidence of cancer in our society.
Doesn't this ignore a more direct connection between the explosion of contraceptive use by women over this same time period? What are scientists, activists and women living with cancer doing about looking into the connection between this obvious trend and the rise in the breast cancer rates?
Answer:
There is growing evidence that long term use of oral contraception is linked to increase rates of breast cancer. It is not clear whether this is because the birth of the first child comes later in the woman's life a known risk factor or if hormone level changes are the issue. Further studies have been looking at earlier forms of oral contraception and increased rates of breast cancer appear linked.
