Abstract

PIP: The risk of developing breast cancer appears higher in women who have had benign breast disease. Since the use of oral contraceptives is very high in young women, existing studies were reviewed to discover the association between oral contraceptives and benign breast disease. Overall they have shown the risk to be less than 1 for women who used the pill more than 1 year. In a large study in the Boston area, the risk of benign breast disease for pill users was .4. It appears that women with no history of oral contraceptives have a greater risk of developing benign breast disease. The strength of the association and consistency of the results support the association.