Breast feeding has documented benefits for both mother and baby (NEJM JW Women’s Health Jul 9 2014; [e-pub] and Am J Obstet Gynecol 2014; 211: 424.el). So when women are choosing birth control methods, it’s important to know the options regarding the effects of hormonal contraception on breast feeding performance, as well as ease of use and safety. The best time to talk about contraceptive options with your practitioner is during your pregnancy.

The CDC has recently updated the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (US MEC), which provides guidelines on the safety of available birth control choices for women with specific health conditions. Updates for breast feeding women were included based on risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and postpartum days. For instance, using combined oral birth control pills is not recommended within 21 days of delivery (rated category 4) due to the excess risk of VTE. It’s best to wait beyond 12 weeks postpartum to reduce the mother’s risk for blood clots. On the other hand, all progestin-only contraceptive methods are rated category 1 (low risk/no restrictions) or category 2 (advantages of the method generally outweigh its theoretical or proven risks) for breast-feeding women.

Here are some of the best options for breastfeeding moms:

1. Lactational Amenorrhea- This offers an effective temporary method of contraception (until menses return or milk substitutes are introduced). When women do not menstruate, they (usually) do not ovulate and cannot get pregnant. Some women will choose an additional method of contraception even while breast feeding exclusively to make sure they are protected from pregnancy…which I think is a good idea.

2. IUDs- There are several types of IUD’s which are safe and very effective. Some contain copper and others contain a hormone known as progestin, which is a synthetic progesterone. They can be used for many years and all can be removed as soon as you are ready to get pregnant again. An IUD can be placed in the uterus within 10 minutes of placental delivery which is very convenient, but risk for expulsion is higher when inserted this early. Many women prefer to wait until their 6-week follow-up appointment.

3. Implant, Shot, and Progestin-Only Pill- All 3 of these methods use the synthetic hormone Progestin. You can use any of these methods immediately after delivery. The implant is the most effective birth control available; even more effective than sterilization!!. Pregnancy can be achieved after removal of the implant. The Depo shot is also very effective as long as you are able to get the injection (given in the arm or buttocks) every 3 months. The progestin-only pill is least effective than the implant or shot mainly because there is more room for human error. The pill needs to be taken the same time everyday, which can be difficult when you have a baby to care for. A new option for women outside the U.S. is a progestin-only vaginal ring that is effective for about 1 year.

4. Emergency Contraception (EC)-This contraception is used only if your regular method of birth control has failed (forgotten pill, broken condom). If you are 17 years or older, you can get EC pills (Levonorgestrel) at the pharmacy without a prescription. Take them within 3 days of unprotected sex. A prescription-only EC pill, ulipristal acetate can be used up to 5 days after unprotected sex. Ulipristal is more effective than nonprescription EC. Small amounts of ulipristal has been found in breast milk so pumping and discarding breast milk is advised for 24 hours after taking ulipristal EC.
The most effective EC is having a copper IUD placed within 5 days after unprotected sex. This also provides you with a continuing and effective birth control method.

There are many safe and effective contraceptives choices after childbirth and when breastfeeding. Talk to your practitioner before having your baby to discuss your preferences when the time comes.

References: Chen, M, Schwarz, E. New guidance on contraception while breast-feeding, JWatch.org October 2016. p.77.
Curtis KM et al. U.S. medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use, 2016. MMWR Recomm Rep 2016 Jul 29;65:1.

Screening for breast cancer seems like a good idea and mammograms are the gold standard for screening. The main risk factors for breast cancer are age and gender which unfortunately, we have little control over. With the incidence of breast cancer being 1 in 8 in a women’s lifetime, why would women not want to screen for cancer before any symptoms appear? Well, screening has some drawbacks, so consider some of the benefits and possible harms.

Lets first look at the benefits:
1. If your mammogram is normal and shows no signs of cancer, then that can be reassuring.
2. Most if not all insurance companies will cover the cost of a mammogram.
3. If the screening test shows signs of pre-cancer or early cancer, treatment may be shorter and simpler and prognosis is much better.

The downside of screening:
1. False positive result: This is when the findings suggest that you could have an early cancer when you really don’t. This can lead to further testing such as more breast images or a biopsy. As you can imagine, this leads to anxiety, inconvenience, discomfort and the expense of extra testing even though you don’t have cancer.
2. False negative result: This is when a mammogram misses a cancer that is actually present. This gives you a false reassurance that everything is OK.
3. Overdiagnosis: This occurs when a cancer is present, but it is one that does not interfere with the length or quality of your life. Not all cancers cause death or illness even though we may think the worst. In fact, some cancers would have never been found during your lifetime if you hadn’t had the screening test. This is known as an “indolent” cancer. Even oncologists cannot tell the difference between an indolent cancer and one that will progress. Therefore the cancer will probably be treated (unnecessarily) with surgery, radiation or medication. On the other hand…if the cancer found is a “real” cancer (one that would grow and perhaps spread), then early diagnosis with a mammogram would allow the patient to avoid more extensive treatment, such as chemotherapy, and it may have prevented her from dying of breast cancer.
The issue of overdiagnosis is confusing for both women and clinicians. So how often does overdiagnosis occur? Unfortunately, it cannot be directly measured because the incidence of cancer varies widely with geographic region and race/ethnicity of the study population and methods of research used.

This issue complicates the decision on whether to have a screening test at all. So what to do? Ask yourself these questions…
1. Is this cancer preventable (or easier to treat successfully) if it’s found by screening?
2. Do I have a higher then average chance of developing this type of cancer? For example, those with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer or those who have a genetic mutation will have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. It makes sense for these women to follow screening recommendations given by their practitioner.
3. Will finding this type of cancer early make a difference in how well treatment works?
4. How do I personally feel about being screened?

Consult with your doctor or practitioner on what they specifically recommend for you.

Reference: Kaunitz, A. Understanding Overdiagnosis as a Consequence of Cancer Screening. NEJM Journal Watch: Women’s Health September 2018 Vol. 23 No. 9; 68-70.

Mammograms continue to be the gold standard for breast cancer screening. How often to do these tests for average risk women is debatable depending on the health organization that you follow or discuss with your health practitioner. This site can be helpful https://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/BreastCancerScreeningforWomenatAverageRisk.html.

Many facilities also now offer a breast Tomosynthesis test along with your mammogram, which does make the screening more sensitive to finding breast cancer lesions. This 3-D mammogram may find up to 47% more cancers in women with dense breasts according to a Norway study in 2012. But be aware that it delivers twice as much radiation than traditional mammograms and the breast is compressed for about 48 seconds compared with about 20 seconds for a standard exam. Ouch!!

The question many women are asking is if they should get a breast MRI or when that would be indicated. Investigators performed an observational study in which they used > 2 million images from 6 breast cancer surveillance consortium registries to evaluate biopsy and pathology results after screening mammography and compared that with breast MRI. They looked at women with and without personal histories of breast cancer.

Results showed more high-risk benign (non-cancer) lesions involving biopsies with breast MRI than with mammogram regardless of personal history of breast cancer. Overall, biopsy rates were fivefold higher for MRI than mammography.

Recommendations are that women should not undergo routine breast MRI for cancer surveillance unless they meet certain criteria which includes:

1. Strong family history of breast cancer
2. Oncogenic hereditary mutation
3. Extremely dense breasts
4. High-risk lesions such as lobular carcinoma in situ

Of course, discuss recommendations with your practitioner to determine the best screening for you.

Reference: Buist DSM et al. Breast biopsy intensity and findings following breast cancer screening in women with and without a personal history of breast cancer. JAMA Intern Med 2018 Feb 12; [e-pub]. (https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.8549).

Some of you may have seen this report on TV or scanned through it while reading the paper. It is worth discussing because the concerns lie in not just birth control pills but in any device containing synthetic Progestin, which is different than Progesterone (not synthetic).

This Danish study followed 1.8 million women of childbearing age for more than a decade drawing data from national prescription and cancer registries. During that time, over 11,000 cases of breast cancer were found. The researchers concluded that women using hormones experienced a 20% increase risk of developing breast cancer compared to nonusers. In other words, for every 100,000 women using hormonal birth control, there are 68 cases of breast cancer annual, compared to 55 cases a year among nonusers. The risk also increased with age and varied by formulation. Limitations in the hormonal birth control study include the fact that physical activity, breast feeding and alcohol consumption which can influence breast cancer risk were not accounted for.

The link between birth control pills and breast cancer has always been somewhat controversial. But this is the first study that looked at the risks associated with current low dose birth control pills and devices in a large population. These devices include Progestin implants (Nexplanon) and intrauterine devices (IUD) that release Progestin. The research suggests that the hormone Progestin may be raising breast cancer risk. Thats an important thing to remember because the thought has always been that estrogen causes cancer. And this is not the only time that Progestin has been implicated in the risk of breast cancer.

One of the most popular studies that shed some light on this subject was the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Trial. This study evaluated the use of conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the form of oral conjugated estrogens and oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). There was quite a shock over the negative outcomes of this study which included increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular (stroke) disease, breast cancer, and thromboembolic events (blood clots). We finally dug deeper in the research to find some of the causes.

The first potential cause is the oral ingestion of estrogen. When you take estrogen in a pill form it is presented to the liver in a much more direct concentrated way. The liver synthesizes certain proteins such as clotting factors, sex hormone binding globulin and thyroid-binding globulin. What does that mean?? It means oral estrogen, whether it be a birth control pill or oral HRT stresses the liver and produces inflammatory proteins and more clotting factors. Of course this is dependent on the amount of estrogen consumed. Synthetic hormones also produce unfavorable metabolites that have the potential to change DNA that raises breast cancer risk.

The second issue is progestin (synthetic) vs natural progesterone. There are many studies that indicate that medroxyprogesterone acetate is detrimental to cardiovascular function. A popular study known as the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin intervention (PEPI) trial, found that at the end of 3 years, oral estradiol increased HDL (good cholesterol) by 7%, but this increase was reduced when MPA was added. Oral progestins also under go a substantial first-pass effect on gut and liver metabolism. Is it the progestin metabolites themselves that increase the risk of breast cancer or the fact that progestins turn on estrogen receptor expression that allows more estrogens to be shunted down “bad” pathways?

Women who stayed on these hormones for 10 years or more experienced a 38% increase in their risk for developing breast cancer compared to nonusers. In contrast, there was no increase in breast cancer risk for those using hormones for less than 1 year. That being said, these types of birth control methods in general are safe, effective and accessible options for many women. Perhaps women can change to a different form of non-hormonal birth control, such as an IUD without hormones (Paraguard), condoms or a diaphragm.

Talk to your doctor or practitioner about the pros and cons of different types of contraceptives. A hormonal birth control method may be fine for now, but you may want to reassess its use as you get older or if you have been using a hormonal form for more than 10 years.

Birth Control Pills Still Linked to Breast Cancer, Study Finds – The New York Times: “”