Depo-Provera increases cancer | The Jackal

13 May 2012

Depo-Provera increases cancer

Minister of Social Development Paula Bennett was recently in the news saying that the long acting contraceptive Depo-Provera was perfectly safe after announcing that female beneficiaries would be "offered" the medication by WINZ officers.

However last Week, the Huffington Post reported:

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Researcher Center found that when women use depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), a progestin-only form of birth control, for a year or more, their breast cancer risk may be increased 2.2-fold. MSNBC reported that DMPA is also known as Depo-Provera.

The study was a population-based case-control study among 1028 women 20-44 years of age to assess the association between Depo-Provera and breast cancer risk.

The 2.2 fold increase in risk of cancer is the average, with some woman showing a 4.2 fold increase in cancer risk while using the contraception. 95% of those assessed showed at least a 1.2 fold increase.

Joan Campion, spokewoman of Pfizer, the maker of Depo-Provera, said:

As part of the Depo-Provera label, physicians are already advised on benefits and risks of Depo-Provera, including the risk of breast cancer.

Unfortunately this does not mean the woman using the dangerous contraception have been advised of the 2.2 fold increased risk of cancer. Pfizer currently believes that changes to benefits and risk profile are not warranted. Dicks!