Prostate Cancer and The Pill

Question: Do birth control pills somehow play a role in prostate cancer?

Dr. Brownstein's Answer:

Researchers recently studied the link between prostate cancer incidence and mortality and the use of birth control pills. The authors of the study, published in 2011 in the British Medical Journal, hypothesized that birth control pills may lead to environmental estrogen contamination, causing increased rates of prostate illness in men.

The researchers correlated prostate cancer statistics with contraception use and found that oral contraceptive use was significantly associated with prostate cancer incidence and mortality in individual nations worldwide.

Other forms of contraception (IUDs, condoms, or vaginal barriers) were not correlated with prostate cancer incidence or mortality. The scientists concluded: “A significant association between oral contraceptives and prostate cancer has been shown.”

In the United States many of us know someone who has prostate cancer. Autopsy reports have shown that one in three men had prostate cancer at the time of their death.

Figuring out the causes of prostate cancer should be a national priority. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. In fact, there is currently little research into the underlying causes of prostate cancer.

This study showed a correlation with birth control pill use and prostate cancer mortality and incidence. We will not beat prostate cancer (nor other cancers) with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. We will beat cancer by cleaning up our environment and supplying the body with the optimal nutrition it needs.

Furthermore, we need to stop manufacturing and using synthetic hormones, which are toxic to us and the environment. Only bioidentical, natural hormones should be used for hormone therapy.

Birth control pills should be avoided as they utilize synthetic hormones and have been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer. New evidence suggests that they increase the risk of prostate cancer as well. Using a synthetic hormone reminds me of Forrest Gump’s motto: “Stupid is as stupid does.”