TDNet Discover

In the United States, over half of the female population uses a form of contraception. To make an educated decision on which form of birth control to use, the associated benefits and risks of each form are considered. Taking exogenous hormones in the form of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) is used to avoid pregnancy and control menstrual symptoms, along with other non-contraceptive benefits. Research is still inconclusive on OCP use and breast cancer (BC) risk. The purpose of this research is to clarify whether short and longterm OCP use in women ages 15-45 has an impact on the risk of BC. This research consisted of an evidence-based clinical review which included database search criteria, search procedures, quality assessment, data extraction, and qualitative synthesis. These attributes were completed by the 3 researchers with duplicate procedures, selection by a majority, and standardized tools to increase internal validity and reduce bias. After implementation, the researchers had 1 systematic review and 2 meta-analyses of good quality to analyze the research of whether OCP use in women ages 15-45 has an impact on the risk of BC. The outcome of two studies supports an increased BC risk and OCP use while the third study indicates no association between progestin-only OCP formulas and BC. This research confirmed that no specific prescribing recommendations for combined OCPs need to be adjusted for women who are at a low to average risk of developing BC. The focus in the clinical sphere should be on patient education about the possible risks associated between OCP use and BC.