Oral contraceptive use and early abortion as risk factors for breast cancer in young women

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Abstract
A case-control study was conducted in Los Angeles County, California [USA], of 163 very young [human] breast cancer cases (all aged 32 yr or less at diagnosis) to investigate the role, if any, of oral contraceptives (OC) in the development of the disease. OC use before 1st full-term pregnancy (FFTP) was associated with an elevated risk, which increased with duration of OC use (relative risk .apprx. 2.2 at 6 yr of use, P < 0.01). This increased risk could not be explained by other risk factors. OC use after FFTP was not associated with any change in risk. A 1st-trimester abortion before FFTP whether spontaneous or induced, was associated with a 2.4-fold increase in breast cancer risk (P < 0.005).