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pubmed:otherAbstract |
PIP: This critique of the research study on oral contraceptives and breast cancer by Weinstein, et al., published in the journal Epidemiology, September 1991, points out several design faults, then notes some of the findings that nevertheless agree with other large, well conceived studies. Some of the difficulties of the study were the lack of disaggregation by race, fewer low socioeconomic group controls, more high socioeconomic group users, and lack of data on pill formulation used. The results agree with those of the large CASH study, which found that there was no overall dose response of pill use with risk of breast cancer, even taking into account use before or after the 1st birth. The results also agree with the finding in the CASH study that relative risk was higher, here 1.8, for women using the pill 4 or more years in the 20-49 age group, while lower, 0.7, for those aged 50-70. This suggests that the pill may have accelerated onset of breast cancer in some young women, but not affected cumulative lifetime risk. Since the question of oral contraceptive use and breast cancer still remains unsettled, women over 30 who have taken the pill for 4 or more years should have mammagraphy and self and clinical breast exams regularly.
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