Does oral contraceptive use increase the risk of breast cancer in women with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations more than in other women?

Cancer Res. 1997 Sep 1;57(17):3678-81.

Abstract

We conducted a study to determine whether the risk of breast cancer associated with oral contraceptive (OC) use is higher in women with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations than in other women by examining whether breast cancer patients with these mutations were more likely than breast cancer patients without mutations in BRCA1/BRCA2 to have used OCs. We tested for BRCA1 185delAG and 5382insC and BRCA2 6174delT mutations in a population-based sample of 50 young Ashkenazi Jewish breast cancer patients. Nine patients (18%) had a BRCA1 mutation, and five patients (10%) had a BRCA2 mutation. Long-term OC use (>48 months) before a first full-term pregnancy was associated with an elevated risk of being classified as a mutBRCA carrier (odds ratio, 7.8; trend, P = 0.004). The results suggest that OC use may increase the risk of breast cancer more in mutBRCA carriers than in noncarriers; however, they must be interpreted with caution given the small sample size.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemically induced
  • Breast Neoplasms / ethnology
  • Breast Neoplasms / etiology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Contraceptives, Oral / adverse effects*
  • Exercise
  • Female
  • Genes, BRCA1 / genetics
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor / genetics*
  • Heterozygote
  • Humans
  • Jews / genetics
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Contraceptives, Oral