BCP's? What makes YOU wonder?

I dont have ILC...I had IDC, but yes I took BCP's for alot of years begininng at 19 yrs...ended when I was dx'd with bc.

I dont even have a bc history in my family, but do have at least one of each other type of cancer you can think of in my dad's side of the family.

I was dx'd at 45 too....breast fed two kids as well...

It amazes me at the similarities between breast cancers as well as the things we have done in the past that we were TOLD were entirely safe to our bodies....if it wasnt birth control, then how about ladies taking HRT?

I guess it really doesnt matter since what it done, is done but how are we suppose to feel secure with our doctors recommendations if this is where it lands us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jule

I started taking the Pill at 21, only had breaks for my two pregnancies, then came off the Pill when diagnosed with ILC at age 38. So I was on for the better part of 15 years.The tumor was 2.7cm, so it had to be growing for a while. I, too, am thin, exercise a lot, eat well, nursed my babies, etc, etc.

My onc blames my cancer on the Pill, but I'm not convinced b/c 1) I have a strong family history of cancer, including my mom who died of bc (although I'm BRCA negative), and 2) although my tumor was ER/PR positive, it was only moderately so. So, who knows. I had plenty of OB/GYN's tout the health benefits of bcp's, even with my family history of cancer.

Hi,

I'm an ILC gal who was perimenopausal, age 49 who had been on BCP for 19 years.  I am slim, nursed 2 kids for a full year, had them at age 26 and 30, started my period at age 14, and was told by my OB/GYN to stay on BCP and sail through menopause.  We sound a lot alike.  I often think mine was caused by the pill also. 

I started taking the pill at 18 and took it until I was dx at 42. Two breaks for my pregnancies, one at 25 and one at 31. Nursed both kids too. Even took the depo-provera shots for a while instead of the pill until the insurance stopped paying for it. Only one great aunt with bc too.

I know that they say bcp's are not linked to bc, but I find that hard to believe. With very few risk factors for me I still can't help thinking over 20 years of the pill had to contribute to a hormone receptive cancer.

I took the pill for maybe for a couple of years in my late 20's, because of endometreosis and wanting to have kids.  I was dx at 45, pre-menopausal.  I am also very slim, have ate pretty good most of the time.  Not counting the oreo I just ate :-)  It's so hard to say what causes this.  So many variables in everyone's life.  I don't think about that part anymore.  It will just drive you crazy.  Instead I try and focus on now.  I'm doing OK now, and I'm glad for that.  I wish all of us the best!

g

 However....I do agree with avoiding hormonal bc or any of these other pills they come out with now to shorten a girls period!!  give me a break....don't get me started on that!

I´m German and live in Germany, but Kleenex, my story is similar to yours in many ways! I was diagnosed at 45, I had my kids at 30 and 32 and breastfed them for 2.5 years in total (living in the U.S. then by the way), I´m slim, don´t smoke, used to be vegetarian, had one grandmother who developed bc at 75 and died of something else at 98... The differences: I only took birth control pills for maybe 4 years in total in my twenties and started my period already at 12. No idea what causes this.

I really believe there was a link for me and perhaps for many with ILC and either previous birth control pill OR HRT....perhaps all the synthetic estrogen.  I also took infertility drugs for 3 years.  Took birth control pills for 20 years...when I began BCP's in the late 70's, they had much higher amounts of estrogen in them too. 

I just got done reading Breakthrough with interviews with 28 doctors who are VERY accomplished and intelligent...one oncologist believed there is a strong link and many others agreed

I was on BCP's for 20 years, beginning as a teenager.  I was never able to get pregnant so my body did not produce that protective progesterone.  I took infertility drugs for several years as well.  One OB I see now thinks that I've been estrogen dominant for years.  Now the OB AND my oncologist say it's OK for me to take bioidentical progesterone to balance my hormones.

Hi Kleenex,

Geez, you can see from the nearly one-month delay that I haven't been on the boards much!  Yes, I did read Breakthrough last year and although Suzanne Sommers is QUITE controversial, the interviews with many of these doctors made sense, especially in regards to the estrogen dominance.  The drug companies created Progestins (designed to mimic progesterone) which ended up causing MANY adverse issues.  Progestins are NOT the same as natural progesterone and research is showing that there tends to be a great imbalance in many women, hence the estrogen dominance. 

 I just saw my oncologist today and we were even talking about how at one point progesterone was used to treat breast cancer.  I do believe there is a greater roll that we are still learning about.