Research links levonorgestrel IUDs to breast cancer, but GP says the risk is small compared with benefits
A registry study found an excess breast cancer risk of 14 cases per 10,000 women.
Levonorgestrel-releasing IUDs may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, research suggests, but a GP says the devices have significant benefits compared to their risks.
In a letter published in JAMA, researchers from Denmark said levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine systems (LNG-IUSs) were linked to an excess breast cancer risk of 14 cases per 10,000 women.
Their registry study looked at 80,000 patients aged 15-49 who started an LNG-IUS and found 40% increased odds of breast cancer with an LNG-IUS after adjusting for age, hormonal contraceptive history and more, when compared with age-matched controls.
Patients who had used hormonal contraception within five years of starting an LNG-IUS were excluded from the study.
