Low Dose BC to prevent Ovarian Cancer?

afrenchprincess · November 2012

Hi Ladies I'm watching Dr. Oz now and he is having a segment to help women prevent ovarian cancer. The Dr. on the show said that one tip is to take a low dose birth control. It helps prevent and protect ovarian cancer. The longer you are on it the better.

I was told this by my Dr. as well. I was skeptical.

Does anybody know about this or have any info on this?

Any info would be great thanks in advance!

monkeysip · November 2012

It's true, but it's not worth it in a cost-benefit analysis.

Low dose BC will still up your chances of cervical cancer, and possibly breast cancer.

Furthermore, having a baby protects you more from ovarian cancer than a lifetime of birth control.

Lastly, from a morality perspective, preventing a disease would not be a just reason for using contraception while sexually active.

afrenchprincess · November 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_low-dose-bc-to-prevent-ovarian-cancer?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:3659f919-e52e-4d4f-a0dd-0f6187b1bdf6Post:4352bf62-d84f-49b7-b4b4-8c9ba227e195">Re: Low Dose BC to prevent Ovarian Cancer?</a>:
[QUOTE]It's true, but it's not worth it in a cost-benefit analysis. Low dose BC will still up your chances of cervical cancer, and possibly breast cancer. Furthermore, having a baby protects you more from ovarian cancer than a lifetime of birth control. Lastly, from a morality perspective, preventing a disease would not be a just reason for using contraception while sexually active.
Posted by monkeysip[/QUOTE]<div>Ok I just wanted to know what people have heard/know about thise. Because my Doc was pushing this when she did my family health history and the cancer that runs on both sides of my family for the women. She had told me how much it would help to me. I was coming off the BC to do NFP and I didn't have any information on it and etc. So, I didn't have a "comeback" for her when she was telling me this. I need to do some more research.

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lalaith50 · November 2012

http://www.myfemininemind.com/2012/01/hand-washing-and-white-washing.html

Riss91 · November 2012

I agree with everything pp has said!

I highly recommend the book Anti-Cancer, written by a Doctor who had a cancerous tumor in his brain and managed to survive it - twice. There is a lot of information with linkages to actual studies that you can bring directly to your doctor. In that book he discusses increased risks due to genetics - which are relatively low. Higher risks are more environmental.

Calypso1977 · November 2012

i truly believe there is a big link between BCP and Breast Cancer. Big.

maggieandrey · November 2012

There is conflicting evidence on this. My gynecologist believed this for years until he got a strongly worded letter from my hematologist saying otherwise. My hematologist, told me I was an idiot to take any birth control because my mom died of breast cancer (great bedside manner, right?) In her words, I'm a cancer firecracker and the birth control is the match... it was a weird analogy that's stuck with me for years. The jist of her opinion was, when you have a strong family history of cancer you don't want to alter your body in any way with hormones. ovarian, cervical and breast cancers can be (but are not always) linked to hormonal imbalance, and you have to treat your body correctly. When I asked her about that low dose BC connection to reducing risk she said it's possible in women who need that to balance it out. But if you let your body do its own thing (such as having babies like it's intended to), that's much better for you overall.

Ashl07 · November 2012

I have never read that article. That is scary, and it makes me sad that when I was younger I was on birth control. What risks did I take? It's so sad information like this isn't more available.

Resa77 · November 2012

Haven't read Lalaith's link yet, but will in a sec. Just wanted to add my two cents:

There has been some research suggesting that BC lowers the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer. There has also been research (though it's been silenced somehow, and it's not PC to mention it) that BC is linked with breast cancer (which I DEF believe). If you're at risk for cancer, should you really be taking a drug that lowers the risk of two (less common) types of cancer, but increases your risk of a (more common) type?

I also look at it this way: there are some benefits to smoking. For one, it helps lower anxiety, and it actually really helps those with schizophrenia. Research also indicates that rates of Parkinsons and Alzheimers are lower in smokers than non-smokers, indicating the smoking lowers your risk of these two diseases. But we all know that smoking has it's share of serious risks -- heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, etc. So would you really take a doctor seriously who says "you should start smoking because of all these great benefits!" You'd probably start seeing another doctor!

newlyseliski · November 2012

A cornucopia of additional info...

http://www.1flesh.org/category/arguments/

agapecarrie · November 2012

the pill is a group 1 carcinogen.

go to www.omsoul.com to find a long list of docs who will never prescribe any kind of birth control because it is so harmful

afrenchprincess · November 2012

Thanks all for the responses. The information I was finding was a bit confusing and all were pushing more towards the lower dose BC being better if you have a strong family history as I do in my family. My doctor said the same and then I saw this doctor on the show and it made me really scared. Again, I didn't have enough research and information. Also. when you try telling people from the "limited information" that I have about BC that it is harmful you are usually-in my case looked at as weird for saying that. it was just hard when your doctors are scaring you and you are looking at your family history too.

Thanks for the website lalaith. really good way to look at it. Also, scared the heck out of me! LOL! I didn't know it was a level 1 cargongen!

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