According To Research, Birth Control Pills Can Increase Breast Cancer Risk By 50 Percent

In case you weren't thinking about it already, here's some more news about birth control.

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle recently found that women taking contraceptive pills have 50 percent higher overall risk of developing breast cancer, but this risk may vary by each form of oral contraceptive.

Great, glad we've been popping it like chewing gum since we were teenagers.

But there's more: Some pills with higher levels of estrogen can raise the risk by threefold, compared with women who have never taken birth control or who have stopped using it.

Pills containing a lower dosage of hormones carried no extra risk.

It's important to note, however, that these findings "require confirmation and should be interpreted cautiously," says Dr. Elisabeth Beaber who headed the study.

She also adds that previous studies have suggested this increased risk declines after consumers stop taking the birth control.

Sooo.... you're telling me there's a chance?

H/T: Daily Mail, Photo Courtesy: Flikr/ Surija