Mirena IUD

Draftbaby68

I was diagnosed w IDC in December. I have no family history...I Breastfed 3 children, I had my first period at age 15 and I had my children in my 20s. The only risk factor I have found is my form of birth control. I have had the Mirena IUD for 15 years(reinsertment every 5 yrs). I’ve been reading a lot of studies online correlating breast cancer and the IUD. Wondering if anyone else has used this form of birth cont

zeeland

Hello draft baby,

First of all I want to apologize for my English, I m Dutch and I try to answer.

Your history is like mine: I was 47 years old at diagnosis. No family history of cancer.

Breastfedded for a long time, gave birth to two sons in my late twenties. I too used Mirena IUD for a period of 10 years till my diagnosis,

Eversince I wondered if the Mirena is a cause. I met 4 other women who had been diagnosed relatively young, premenopausal, and used Mirena IUD for many years!

I have done some research, there are several studies which pointed out an elevated risk of breastcancer, especially if longer used( more than 5 years)

I contected Bayer and a Dutch medicine data company, to tell them my concerns.

I feel like yelling in a desert. I try to let it rest now, because it makes me very angry.

It is the way it is now. I am 4 years after my diagnosis, with a very small local reaccurance.

You can contact me if you feel like it. I wish you all the best for now.

rdeesides

I wonder too if my IUD contributed to my breast cancer. I don’t have hormone positive cancer though, but I still can’t help but wonder..

Bjbj

I had Mirena for 5 years then a new one for another year. I also have no family history. But my diagnosis was hormone positive. While we will probably never know the answer to what exactly caused each of us to get breast cancer, there was a study that came out in Dec 2017 that says something about Mirena being no better hormonally than the pill and that the scientific community was very surprised at this. So I petsonally do believe that the damn iud contributed at least in part to my diagnosis. Having said that , I am choosing to focus on what I can do going forward instead of being angry which is not only no help but can’t be good For us .

Mnburris

I’m not diagnosed but having breast issues in one breast. I have had Mirena for 15 years also.

CMCARPE82

I have mirena for 5 years and have several scary issues in my right breast that are awaiting genetic testing and further evaluation, so you might be right there very well could be a link but i also have a huge family history so it might disclude me.

MellieTX

I had Mirena for about 13 years (3). And was on the pill before and after (horrendous periods mean I’m NOT going hormone-free). I’m not blaming the Mirena, or the pill, but what I am angry about is doctors who wouldn’t consider permanent birth control for me when I’d ask because they didn’t trust little ol’ me with such a big, permanent decision like shutting down my baby factory. I was diagnosed with MS at 29, already had 2 kids and knew I was done. I think of all those years of extra hormones growing cancer cells and it makes me crazy. This is what I think of whenever I see the TRUST WOMEN campaigns. As soon as I’m done with rads - bye bye, uterus!

zeeland

hello everyone,

Thanks for all your posts. As I read your stories and even more on this site, I'm positive that my use of the Mirena IUD contributed to my breastcancer. Marisa Weiss  explains about the risks of any birthcontrol pills or divices with hormones when we are aging. The risk of getting breastcancer grows when we are getting older, and increases even more when we use synthetical hormones. But what makes me very angry is the fact that Bayer, the company who produces the Mirena IUD, doesn't adjust the insert. It says there is no increased risk to get breastcancer if you are under 50 years old, but this is nonsense, there is no evidence for this, on the contrary:  In 2014 there has been a large Finnish study which made clear that there is an elevated risk of 19% getting breastcancer during or after longterm use of the Mirena, in premenopausal women.

I, myself have used it during 10 years, I removed it just before my diagnoses when I was 47 years old and premenopausal. I used the divice, for medical reasons, I had very heavy periods. I personally know 4 other women who had breastcancer premenopausal, who used the Mirena. All very healthy women. No family history etc. One of these women is only 25 years old!! 

What can we do, the industry has the power leave us ignorant!!! How can we warn other women!!!

love from

a very concerned, Dutch companian in distress.

Kanona7795

Draftbaby68- I have been using the IUD since I had my first baby over 20 yrs ago at the age of 20. I have replaced it about 5 different times either to have my babies or to go between the copper or Mirena. After my last baby (9yrs) I put in the Mirena and replaced it about 2 yrs ago. I was diagnosed with IDC & DCIS in January and I'm hormone receptor positive. My MO asked if I wanted more children and asked what type of birth control I was using, but never said anything about removing it. After my first chemo treatment my oncologist told me the IUD needed to come out because of the hormones. I have had it out for about a week and now I have to figure out if I want to replace it with the copper or get my tubes tied.