BBC News - Pill increases breast cancer risk

BBC News ^ | 3-23-2002

[Free_at_last_-2001]

Pill increases breast cancer risk - "Oh no Planned Parenthood didn't lie to us did they?? - say it isn't so.."

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

"The total number of deaths from any cause among women who use oral contraceptives is likely to be lower than women who have never used the Pill - just as with hormone replacement therapy."

So women who take the pills have a higher chance of living forever?

[oremus]

I am a woman! :-p Anyway, I'm glad that you have survived your cancer. I can't imagine having to go through that. But, you'd really have to read the entire book to get the picture, and he's not a lone voice in the wilderness (and other than the books he's not making money off of it -he's trying to get the word out and help women). The pharmaceutical companies will say anything to keep the money coming in. What the pill does, in fact, is take a healthy, normal process in a woman and literally turn it upside down. How healthy can that be? That's "medicine"? And, when you have your "period" on the pill, did you know that it's not actually your menstrual period but breakthrough bleeding? Add to that the fact that the pill does NOT prevent conception, and if you conceive (and occasionally you do) then what happens is the fertilized ovum finds the uterus uninhabitible and is expelled - a chemical abortion. And if those things aren't bad enough - it does cause cancer. Why do you think women's cancer rates have skyrocketed in the last 30 years? Hmmmmm.

I just wish women would wake up and begin realizing that these "experts" don't care about women at all!

[oremus]

One more thing: being you've already had cancer, this information should give you pause, as you're already a higher cancer risk, obviously. If I didn't care I wouldn't bother saying anything.

I would recommend that you seek out a good natural/homeopathic doctor to at least discuss the symptoms and problems you are attempting to address by taking the chemical abortifacient "pill," read info from the "other side" and then make your decision. You owe it to yourself. You can't buy everything the people say who are raking in the billions $$.

[LoneGreenEyeshade]

natural/homeopathic doctor

I was married to one!

And I don't get my period. I have no uterus.

And without estrgen, I suffer depression, low energy, hot flashes and joints ache. And that's just the obvious symptons.

I really do not want to debate this endlessly. There is vast amounts of evidence in support of estrogen as well as the naysayers. I know how I feel with and without it. I choose with it. It's a personal choice, and the only known negative effect for me personally and my situation is the risk of breast cancer which is why I get screening every six months.

[Notwithstanding]

The beauty is that you KNOW the risk involved.

MOST WOMEN ARE NEVER MADE AWARE OF THE RISKS - the docs are too interested in foisting their own moral views upon their patients: be a good girl and take your Pill.

Honestly, after each of our four children was born my wife got harassed at the hospital because she refuses birth control and lets them know that she would never even consider using it. Each of these "medical professionals" has exhibit zero respect for my wife's choice.

Perhaps they are getting paid off or perked up by the drug companies and HMO's who find that pills are much cheaper than childbirth and each new child's health expenses? (paying for a few more Pill-induced illnesses each year is pennies compared to payig for the expense of labor and delivery, and a new child's healthcare.

Feeding hormones to healthy body systems in an attempt to make them disfunctional is NOT heath care. That is exactly what the pill does to a healthy woman (menopausal women notwithstanding).

[LoneGreenEyeshade]

in an attempt to make them disfunctional is NOT heath care

Agree totally.

In my case, estrogen makes me functional----with a quality of life I could not have otherwise. About two months ago I stopped taking estrogen because I don't have health insurance. After a few weeks, I was willing to give up eating in order to get my script refilled!!!

Like all medicines, there is abuse and there is good use. Each case is an individual one based on the health circumstances of the person. I just hope people can keep an open mind and realize that for some of us (and I have received numerous private messages from women who agree with me and have encouraged me), estrogen benefits far outweigh the risks. Generalizations are dangerous, in this issue, as with all others. And most importantly, estrogen has uses other than birth control, although that was it's first use. It is no longer it's only use. Anyway, thanks for your information---and I will keep on reading (almost said "abreast" :~) ) on new studies and research.

[weikel]

Think about it this way no pill= more chicks getting knocked up who didn't want to which= more abortions.

[Notwithstanding]

BBC News | HEALTH | Pill 'could boost cervical cancer risk'

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Front Page  World  UK  UK Politics  Business  Sci/Tech  Health  Background Briefings  Medical notes  Education  Entertainment  Talking Point  In Depth  AudioVideo  SERVICES  Daily E-mail News Ticker News for PDA Feedback Help Low Graphics		Tuesday, 26 March, 2002, 11:50 GMT Pill 'could boost cervical cancer risk' Scientists use smear tests to check for cervical cancer Long-term use of the contraceptive pill could increase the risk of developing cervical cancer in women with a sexually transmitted infection, researchers suggest. Women who are positive for the STI human papillomavirus (HPV) could be at up to three times greater risk of developing cancer if they have used the Pill for five years or longer. A four-fold increased risk was found for HPV-positive women who had taken the Pill for more than 10 years. But there is no evidence that long-term Pill use increases the risk of cervical cancer in women who do not have HPV. The virus is the main cause of cervical cancer, which killed around 1,250 UK women in 2000. An international panel of experts has looked at Pill use and HPV infection rates. In a paper published by The Lancet, they conclude long-term use of the Pill could be a contributory risk factor to developing cervical cancer in women with HPV. This is certainly a very interesting study, but they have not actually proved that the Pill causes cervical cancer Dr Anne Szarewski, Cancer Research UK But UK experts stressed that women taking the Pill should not be overly worried by the research. They said the researchers had not proved that the Pill causes cervical cancer. And they said regular cervical screening would pick up signs of the disease early. 'Step in the process' Data for almost 1,900 women from studies carried out carried out in Thailand, the Philippines, Morocco, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Columbia and Spain was examined by scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The risk of cervical cancer ranges from 1% in developed countries to 5% in developing countries. Silvia Franceschi who led the study: "We think that our results lend support to the existence of an association between oral contraceptives and HPV. "They could help women who have persistent HPV infection to balance the benefits (prevention of pregnancy and cancers of the ovary and uterus) and harms of long-term oral contraceptive use, and suggest that long-term users of oral contraceptives should be included in cervical screening programmes." In a separate study, the IARC also found high numbers of pregnancies increases the risk of cervical cancer amongst HPV-positive women. David Skegg from the University of Otago, New Zealand, writing in a commentary in the Lancet, added: "Any causal relation between long-term oral contraception and cervical cancer would be most important in the developing world, where cervical cancer is common and few women have access to high-quality cytological screening. "From a public-health viewpoint, a key question is the extent to which effects persist after women stop taking oral contraceptives. "For nearly two decades, concerns about oral contraceptives and neoplasia were focused mainly on breast cancer-with the eventual outcome being reassuring. Ironically the relation with cervical cancer may turn out to be more important." He backed World Health Organization commissioned work to evaluate all the relevant data. 'No proof' Commenting on the findings looking at use of the Pill, HPV and cervical cancer, a spokeswoman for the Family Planning Association said: "The overall likelihood of getting cervical cancer in the UK is low whether you use the Pill for a long time of not." Dr Anne Szarewski, clinical consultant for Cancer Research UK, told BBC News Online: "This is certainly a very interesting study, but they have not actually proved that the Pill causes cervical cancer. "They have just shown that if you are HPV positive and take the Pill, you are at greater risk." Dr Szarewski said the most important thing for women in the UK to remember was that cervical screening would pick up any problems. She added that women should not be deterred from taking the Pill: "You have to balance this possible risk from the Pill against many known benefits, such as protection against ovarian and endometrial cancer." Women can reduce their risk of contracting HPV and other STIs by also using barrier methods of contraception.		See also: 19 Jun 01 | Health Virus peril of changing partners 29 Mar 01 | Health Wartime peaks of 'sexual' cancer 15 Jan 01 | Health UK tests cervical cancer vaccine 25 Aug 99 | Medical notes Cervical cancer screening 26 Aug 99 | Medical notes Human Papillomavirus Internet links: Institute of Cancer Research Cancer Research UK - cervical cancer information The Lancet World Health Organization The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Health stories now: Doctors' death certificate errors Football clubs 'flout confidentiality' Cataract death mystery for women Flight warning for lung patients New smear test delayed Wind of change for bean-eaters Gene offers leukaemia hope NHS getting better, insists Blair Links to more Health stories are at the foot of the page.

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