In February 1989, an updated report of a Boston study showed that pill users under age 45 had twice the incidence of breast cancer as non-users. The risk of breast cancer was doubled for women who had used the pill for less than ten years, and quadrupled for women who had used the pill for ten years and over.

The 1988 update of the 20 year study of 46,000 women by the Royal College of General Practice in England showed that women who used the pill had a slightly increased rate of breast cancer showing up before age 35. This meant that for every 7,000 women who had taken the pill under age 35, there would be one extra case of breast cancer per year when compared to 7,000 non-users.

In other words, the rate of breast cancer in women aged 30 to 34 who were former pill users was three times as high as those who had never used the pill. For pill users aged 30 to 34 who had one child, the breast cancer risk was five times as high as non-users.

Also in 1988, the Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study of the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the U. S. updated their study of the relationship between the pill and breast cancer. This study showed that in women who menstruated before age 13 years, who never had a child and who used the pill for eight years or longer, there was a fourfold increase risk of developing breast cancer before age 45.

A Swedish study reported in 1986, showed a twofold increased risk of breast cancer for women who ever used the pill for eight years or more, or eight years or more before their first pregnancy.

However, the majority of studies done on the pill do not show any connection between the birth control pill and breast cancer. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. met to review the evidence for the pill being related to breast cancer. The F.D.A. concluded that there was not enough evidence to warrant a change in pill prescribing, but admitted that the issue was not settled and called for further research.

In Canada, the Special Advisory Committee for Health and Welfare said no new warnings will be issued to pill users.

But as Judy Norsigian, of the Boston Women's Health Collective comments, "It's not clear the Pill is not associated with breast cancer." She feels that women should be warned that the long-term safety of the pill is still in question.

Toronto physician, Dr. Carolyn Dean, asks, "Since one in nine women will develop breast cancer, how can you know in advance if you are one of these women? Because one thing is known for sure and that is the pill will worsen breast cancer and may well cause a precancerous growth to turn into cancer."

Dr. Dean also adds that no one has considered what the cumulative long-term effects might be of years of pill use followed by years of hormone replacement for menopause. As a result, she feels that she cannot in good conscience continue to prescribe either the pill or hormones for menopause.

In any case, although doctors are uncertain what the new studies mean, most will continue to prescribe the pill as usual. Women will have to decide on their own whether to take the possible risks, or wait ten to 20 years to find out the link in retrospect.

Many studies have shown that pill users have a lesser risk of cystic breast disease. However, women who have had two or more biopsies for cystic breast disease, women who have a strong family history of breast cancer, and women exposed to DES in the womb should not use the pill.

Breast self examination and regular breast check-ups from your doctor are absolutely essential for women on the pill.

OTHER CANCERS: One study reported that urinary tract cancer, thyroid cancer and one type of skin cancer (malignant melanoma) occurs more often in pill users than non-users.

Infertility After The Pill

Usually monthly periods return within three months of discontinuing the pill. However, it may take a longer time for periods to return to normal if a woman had irregular periods before going on the pill. Overall only one percent of pill users have not had their periods return after six months or longer.