From Breast Cancer.org:
Modern day birth control pills contain a low dose of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. They have not been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. The higher-dose contraceptive pills used in the past were associated with a small increased risk, in only a few studies. Today's birth control pills can provide some protection against ovarian cancer.
From the National Cancer Institute:
A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer depends on several factors, some of which are related to her natural hormones. Hormonal factors that increase the risk of breast cancer include conditions that may allow high levels of hormones to persist for long periods of time, such as beginning menstruation at an early age (before age 12), experiencing menopause at a late age (after age 55), having a first child after age 30, and not having children at all.
My understanding is that smoking, obesity and family history are more significant factors for developing breast cancer than the Pill. While some studies conclude there is a very slight increased risk associated with the Pill other studies find no correlation at all. There has been a more significant risk of cancer associated with postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in women who also took the pill over a significant period of her life.
As of Further Reading: Analyses and Studies? The links in the posted article either do not work, do not draw the quite the same conclusions or even refute the claims of the article.
Using a few quotes out of context and confusing the results of multiple studies in order to affirm a pre-drawn conclusion is the same type of junk science that the greenies use to make the case for global warning.
If you believe that contraception is wrong on moral grounds that’s fine.
Just this month another study was published which confirmed the link ..
Here is the conclusion ..
>>however, there was an association of elevated risk with oral contraceptive use for at least 5 years (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.08-3.94) and with duration of use (ORtrend per year of use, 1.08; P = 0.008). Similar results were obtained when we considered only use of oral contraceptives that first started in 1975 or later.
(Summary at http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/short/15/10/1863?rss=1 )
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation also recognizes some level of risk, though their page on this is a bit out dated -- most of the studies they citer occur either in or prior to 2002..
http://www.komen.org/intradoc-cgi/idc_cgi_isapi.dll?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&ssDocName=AbcBirthControlPillUse
Why the NCI does not list contraception is beyond me -- you should be asking them this question, and not me, in light of the multitude of studies which show a link.
The linked studies to not refute as you seem to believe - studies may not always agree, true, but the *totality* of the evidence across studies strongy supports the link.
The most recent, up to date studies, publised in the NEJM and the Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, both conclude that oral contraceptives are indeed a breast cancer risk.
(BTW, some of the resources must be purchased, so you won't be able to read them without shelling out some $$)
As far as junk science goes and alleged "context and confusing the results of multiple studies in order to affirm a pre-drawn conclusion "
Well, I donk the New England Journal of Medicine and the Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention publish junk science. Read these studies, thier conslusions, etc, and you'll find that it's not junk science.
You can disagree with s