Viral birth control IUD is said to cause breast cancer, truth or false?

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Viral reports are circulating that warn women not to use contraception Intrauterine device (IUD) because it can promote cancer. What are the facts like?

Note, the IUD is the third most common contraceptive device worldwide, used by approximately 17% of women. There are two types of IUD, the copper IUD which does not contain hormones and the hormonal IUD which releases a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone called progestin.

A new study finds that the hormonal contraceptive IUD insertion triggers a higher risk of breast cancer. However, experts emphasize that the overall risk is still low.

According to CNN International, the latest research published in the medical journal JAMA analyzed years of health records from thousands of Danish women between the ages of 15 and 49. Some of the women surveyed started using the hormonal contraceptive IUD and others did not use any type of hormonal contraceptives.

Among more than 150,000 women, there were approximately 1,600 new diagnoses of breast cancer in total. However, there is a 40% higher risk among women who use an IUD or about 14 additional diagnoses for every 10,000 women.

This risk does not increase with duration of IUD use. Previous research has found a similar link between hormonal birth control and breast cancer.

The new data specifically point to risks associated with IUD use, and the findings follow increased risks associated with oral contraceptive pills.

Previously, research on the relationship between hormonal contraceptive use and breast cancer risk was published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

“It’s natural for people to feel shocked or worried when they see a study like this, because the increased risk of developing any type of cancer is a big concern,” said Kelsey Hampton, director communications and education mission for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, was not involved in this new research.

“We don’t want people to look at this data and feel intimidated. We want them to know that this is just additional evidence and information that they can use.” used to talk to their doctors,” he explained.

Should IUDs be avoided altogether?

For Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, the benefits of IUDs far outweigh the risks. The new data should not change the way women think about the contraceptive options available to them.

“The data report that there is a very small risk, one in a thousand, of being diagnosed with breast cancer, which is not the same as dying from breast cancer,” said Schwarz, who is also the chief of medicine -general medicine at San Francisco General Hospital.

“That risk is actually lower than many of the other daily risks that women often attribute to their breast cancer risk,” he explained.

In addition to being very effective in preventing pregnancy, hormonal IUDs can help reduce bleeding and cramping. And there is evidence that IUDs can reduce the risk of endometrial cancer in women.

“I think we have to put this conversation in the right context. A diagnosis of breast cancer is not the same as death from breast cancer, and we have no research that shows that the use of any hormonal contraceptive increases the risk of death from breast cancer. “, said Schwarz.

Dr. Arif Kamal, an oncologist and chief patient officer at the American Cancer Society, noted that the new study did not take into account how often women get mammograms.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach. A person’s risk of developing breast cancer and their concern or worry about breast cancer should be the basis of the decision made between a woman and her doctor about what to do,” said Kamal.

At the same time, there are many other lifestyle factors that women can control to reduce their risk of breast cancer, such as exercising more and limiting alcohol consumption.

(hsy/hsy)