A study of more than 9,000 U.S. women ranging from 35 to 65 has found no evidence that oral contraceptive use increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
A 1996 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine had claimed that there was indeed such an increased risk, but that was a meta-analysis of 54 different epidemiological studies.
In the current study about 4,500 women with breast cancer and 4,500 without breast cancer were questioned in detail about their use of oral contraceptives, including older contraceptive pills which some researchers have suggested might be more likely to contribute to cancer because of their much larger levels of hormones.
But, in fact, the study found no increased risk of breast cancer for women who had taken such pills.
Source:
Pill does not increase risk of breast cancer. Gaia Vince, NewScientist.Com, June 26, 2002.