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Genetics of Breast and Ovarian Cancer (PDQ®)

  • Updated: 04/25/2012

Table 9. Oral Contraceptive (OC) Use and Breast Cancer Risk in BRCA1/BRCA2 Mutation Carriers

 Brohet 2007a [100] Haile 2006b,c [101] Narod 2002b [102]  
Study Population BRCA1 Carriers with Breast Cancer N = 597N = 195; diagnosis < age 50 yN = 981
BRCA2 Carriers with Breast Cancer N = 249N = 128; diagnosis < age 50 yN = 330
Ever Use OC BRCA1 1.47 [CI 1.13–1.91]0.64 [CI 0.35–1.16]1.38 [CI 1.11–1.72] P = .003a
BRCA2 1.49 [Cl 0.8–2.7]1.29 [Cl 0.61–2.76]0.94 [Cl 0.72–1.24]
Age Use < 20 y BRCA1 1.41 [Cl 0.99–2.01]0.84 [Cl 0.45–1.55]1.36 [Cl 1.11–1.67] P = .003
BRCA2 1.25 [Cl 0.57–2.74]1.64 [Cl 0.77–3.46]Not reported
Total Duration BRCA1 <9 y: 1.51 [Cl 1.1–2.08]<5 y: 0.61 [Cl 0.31–1.17]<10 y: 1.36 [Cl 1.11–167] P = .003
BRCA2 <9 y: 2.27 [Cl 1.1–4.65]<5 y: 0.79 [Cl 0.26–2.37]<10 y: 0.82 [Cl 0.56–1.91]
Use Before Full-term Pregnancy BRCA1 >4 y: 1.49 [Cl 1.05–2.11]>4 y: 0.69 [Cl 0.41–1.16]Not evaluated
BRCA2 >4 y: 2.58 [Cl 1.21–5.49]>4 y: 2.08 [Cl 1.02–4.25] trend per y: 1.11; P trend = .01
Use Before 1975 BRCA1 1.48 [Cl 1.11–1.98]Excluded patients who used OC before 19751.42 [Cl 1.17–1.75] P < .001 Not evaluated
BRCA2 1.36 [Cl 0.71–2.58]
Use After 1975 BRCA1 1.57 [Cl 1.11–2.22]0.65 [Cl 0.36–1.19]
BRCA2 1.53 [Cl 0.75–3.12]1.21 [Cl 0.56–2.58]

CI = confidence interval.
aReports risk estimates in the form of hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals.
bReports risk estimates in the form of odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.
cRisk estimates restricted to BRCA mutation carriers younger than 40 years.

References

  1. Brohet RM, Goldgar DE, Easton DF, et al.: Oral contraceptives and breast cancer risk in the international BRCA1/2 carrier cohort study: a report from EMBRACE, GENEPSO, GEO-HEBON, and the IBCCS Collaborating Group. J Clin Oncol 25 (25): 3831-6, 2007.  [PUBMED Abstract]

  2. Haile RW, Thomas DC, McGuire V, et al.: BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, oral contraceptive use, and breast cancer before age 50. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15 (10): 1863-70, 2006.  [PUBMED Abstract]

  3. Narod SA, Dubé MP, Klijn J, et al.: Oral contraceptives and the risk of breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. J Natl Cancer Inst 94 (23): 1773-9, 2002.  [PUBMED Abstract]