The Relationship between Hormonal Contraception and Breast Cancer

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the world and has become a growing important problem in low-and middle-income countries. Different patient variables have been reported for their association with breast cancer over time, including family background, age, sex, breast mass, monarchal age, contraception use, diet, physical inactivity, and obesity among others. Contraceptive pills are the most commonly prescribed method of birth control and account for 13% of the 140 million consumers worldwide. Data indicate that OC use for a long duration can increase breast cancer risk in women below 45 years of age. Method: This systematic review was carried out, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCO. Topics regarding the relationship between breast cancer and hormonal contraceptives and other articles were used in making the article. The found articles were screened by titles and reviewing the abstracts. Results and Conclusion: The review included 11 randomized studies that discussed the relationship between breast cancer and hormonal contraceptives. Although hormone is an efficient way of contraception, many studies have reported a potential risk of BC. The risk of breast cancer should be balanced against the benefits of using hormonal contraceptives. Awareness about breast cancer self-examination is very necessary and should be raised among hormonal contraceptive users, so women do it correctly.