The director of the New South Wales Breast Cancer Institute has played down the risks associated with women taking the birth control pill or undergoing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reviewed published scientific evidence on the pill and HRT and has toughened its classification of both to say they are carcinogenic.
The WHO says the pill slightly increases the risk of breast, cervical and liver cancer, and that HRT increases the risk of breast cancer and cancer of the uterus.
But Professor Boyages says research indicates that HRT might increase the chances of developing breast cancer by less than 1 per cent over a five-year period.
He says it is important for women to understand both the risks and the benefits associated with HRT.
"I think these risks are acceptable risks that in our western way of life are worth taking, particularly around oral contraceptives," he said.
"Short-term use of HRT is certainly safe based on some research we've been doing."
The WHO issued its new guidelines after conducting a review of published scientific evidence.
Gillian Batt from the Australian Cancer Council says hormone treatments cannot be compared to tobacco or asbestos.
"There's no new evidence around this, there's always been an awareness that there is an increased risk, however it's nowhere near the level of asbestos," she said.
I had really bad acne so we all went on the pill at 16 to stop all those pimples. it did work. But you always wonder what long term effects these things can have! Thought this was a good article.
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