Sister has breast cancer, is it safe for me to take birth control pills

[reen32]

my sister was diagnosed at 30 with breast cancer, she is now 34. I am 32 and have a 2 year old and a 5 month old. I am nervous about going back on birth control pills. I got off of them 3 years ago. She was hormone negative if that helps any. And also what are my chance or my other two sisters chances of getting breat cancer? Thank you

[Alexis in Virginia]

I had hormone receptor negative, Breast Cancer with no history in my family.  I had stopped taking birth control pills a year or so ago after my paps reverted back to abnormal after my second child.  I am 38 years old with 2 kids uner 5 years old also.  I took birth control pills for ~15 years and I can't help but wonder if that contributed because my paps reverted back to normal again shortly after I discontinued the pill and increased my folic acid and b-complex vits.  I had a mastectomy in august for extensive DCIS and they found 1.6cm of invasive cancer and 1 positive lumph node.  I also had TRAM reconstructin.  There is no proven link between birth control and breast cancer but there is a link between hormone replacement and breast cancer and birth control and some uterine cancer(I think that was the one) so if you don't plan to have any more kids take your husband in for a vasectomy.  Better safe then sorry!  Mine is dragging his feet now but after I finish my chemo I plan to hound him, condoms suck!

[reen32]

Thanks for the response. What are the chances of myself and my otehr two sisters getting breast cancer???

[Elle53]

Hi,

I just wanted to caution you.  I am not an M.D., but I was treated for invasive breast cancer.

As far as myself and the ladies in my support group - we were told to STOP taking the birth control pill (if we were on it) before it was even official that we had cancer.  I know the word out there is that there is no proof that birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy CAUSES breast cancer but I'm not too sure that it doesn't contribute to it.  I think it's shameful that the hormone prescriptions are passed out like candy.  

Just wanted to warn you to be cautious.  

Good luck.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear reen32:  To date there is no concrete evidence that birth control pills increase the risk of breast cancer.  However, you might be best advised by a genetics counselor who can take all of your risk factors into consideration and make recommendations for surveillance as well as use of hormone based therapies.