THE LINK BETWEEN HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES AND BREAST CANCER RISK: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Objectives: This systematic review aims to investigate the association between hormonal contraceptives (HC) and breast cancer (BC) risk. Methods: A comprehensive search of relevant databases was conducted to identify studies that met the inclusion criteria. PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase were systematically searched for relevant literature. Rayyan QRCI was employed throughout this comprehensive process. Results: Our results included eight studies with a total of 14,336,867 women. The eight studies included women that used variable HC and four studies did not specify the types of HC. Six studies demonstrated that HC usage was a significant risk factor for the development of BC. Early use before the age of 20 is associated with the highest risk of BC and longer duration of HC use significantly increases the risk of BC. Interestingly, one study found that HC use is not linked to BC usage and another study found that the use of HC is a protective factor against the development of BC. Conclusion: Many studies have indicated a possible risk of BC, despite the fact that hormones offer an effective method of birth control. It is important to weigh the advantages of using HC against the dangers of BC. It is imperative that those using HC are made aware of the importance of BC self-examination and how to conduct it correctly. Research indicates that considering non-hormonal, long-acting, or reversible contraceptives should be carefully considered as alternate forms of birth control.

Keywords: Hormonal contraceptives; Breast cancer; Risk factors; Systematic review.