OCP USE

Is it safe to continue OCP for somebody who has newly dianosed ER negative breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy.

[Cleveland Clinic]

Dear emorypa;  For many women who continue to have regular menstrual periods after their treatment for breast cancer, having an effective means of contraception is very important.  Oral contraceptives are generally not recommended for women with breast cancer.  However, with modern oral contraceptives, the doses of estrogen are very low and are less than pre-menopausal ovaries make naturally, there is less concern about increased risk of recurrence or new breast cancers with current contraceptives, including contraceptive pills. This is especially true for women whose initial breast cancer was ER-negative.  This would be something to discuss with your oncologist who can review the risks and benefits in the individual situation.