Oral Contraceptives and Breast Cancer

At least 10.7 million American women use oral contraceptives (OCs). The potential connection with breast cancer has caused concern among these OC users and uncertainty among many of their physicians. This new volume offers the most up-to-date information available on this critical topic.

While the best available knowledge does not support any fundamental change in clinical practice with respect to the use of OCs, this book offers specific recommendations for more research to fully resolve the relationship between OCs and breast cancer. Noting consumer confusion, the volume includes a concise summary of benefits, risks, and other practical information for contraceptive users and their doctors.

The volume presents current data on changes in patterns of OC use, differences in risk at different ages, the benefits of OCs, and more.

Oral Contraceptives and Breast Cancer will be important reading for obstetricians/gynecologists and other health professionals, their patients who use OCs, contraceptive manufacturers, women's health advocates, policymakers, and researchers.

• Front Matter
• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction and Overview
• 2. Epidemiology: Information Needs and Data Gaps
• 3. Biology: Information Needs and Data Gaps
• 4. Information for Users of the Pill and Health Care Providers
• 5. Policy Issues and Recommendations
• References
• Appendix A: Oral Contraceptives and Breast Cancer: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence with an Emphasis on Younger Women
• Appendix B: Oral Contraceptives and Breast Cancer: Review of the Epidemiological Literature
• Appendix C: The Evolving Formulations of Oral Contraceptives
• Appendix D: Animal Models of Sex Steroid Hormones and Mammary Cancer: Lessons for Understanding Studies in Humans
• Appendix E: Risks and Benefits of Oral Contraceptives: Will Breast Cancer Tip the Balance?
• Appendix F: List of Background Documents
• Index