Triple Negative and Birth Control

Denise: Can you please post that link, I'm interested to see what it says. I was on birth control pills for 15 years (stopped 17 years before my BC diagnosis), but I suspect many if not most women in my age bracket took birth control pills so the fact that some of us get TN is not surprising, and doesn't necessarily indicate causation. I'd love to know if a study was done to prove otherwise. 

This is what the American cancer Society currently says about birth control pills: "Recent use of birth control pills: Studies have found that women who are using birth control pills have a slightly greater risk of breast cancer than women who have never used them. This risk seems to go back to normal over time once the pills are stopped. Women who stopped using the pill more than 10 years ago do not seem to have any increased risk. It's a good idea to talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of birth control pills."

Hi Denise- I am not sure if my story will help, as I am brca 1 positive, so that is the main reason I got triple neg cancer, but here it goes anyways. I was put on the pill at 17 because I almost bled to death from horrible periods. Wound up in the hospital because I had lost so much blood and they said if I had not gone in that night I may have died, that is how much blood I lost. I stayed on the pill until I was in my 30's. I had tried to stop a few times but my periods were too bad. I was diagnosed at age 36 for the first time. Chemo stopped my periods for a year or so, but they came back with a venegance. I should have had my hysterectomy then but I did not know I was brca 1 positive and I just was not ready, so my doc put me on the Mirena IUD. I had never felt better! No periods and I felt great. Well, then I was diagnosed again with bc to the other breast and my new MO freaked out that I was on the Mirena and said have it taken out immediately! I was again thrown into chemopause and then I finally had a full hysterectomy. In my case birth control and cancer probably are not related because of the brca mutation, but in my opinion, it does seem to be related. Research mirena and it is scary, it seems many have gotten cancer after having it. It has been a long time since I researched, and I am not sure if there were any studies or just word of mouth that I had found, but it did alarm me.

Also, I wonder, for those of us that were put on birth control for menstrual issues is that maybe our issues contributed to the cancer and not the pills. Maybe our hormones have been out of whack since a young age and that contributed to cancer. I was very healthy and thin and very active when I was younger, my only issue being my bad periods. Have you been tested for brca?

Thank you for bringing this topic up. I find it interesting and alarming like you.

I have been on birth control continuously for the last 17 years. Started at age 15 and am still taking them per my MO because she doesn't want risk of pregnancy while on chemo. But if I'm not having periods, is there a point? After reading this thread I want to throw them out right now. My genetic tests were all negative. The pills were the first thing I thought of when diagnosed but in my mind being triple negative meant it wouldn't be because of the pills hormones, etc. thoughts?

Hello, I was recently diagnosed BRAC neg, shocked since I have cancer in my family. So now I'm thinking it was the pill. I was on it straight for almost 22 years, due to endometriosis. It was to keep it from coming back after they cleaned me out.

Now I have tnbc ar 52.

I did not start birth control until late 20's....did not have kids until 35 and diagnosed at 40. I was on Mirena at the time. In my case I don't believe bc caused my tnbc. I tested neg for genetic factors as well. I am not downplaying but like the other responses you can make yourself crazy looking for an answer. Sure studies may show propensities toward developing cancer like the ones that occur due to later child birth but unfortunately none are a silver bullet answer.