Is it too risky for me to take birth control pills? my mom's a breast cancer survivor. is it worth it to take them?

No major risks: Birth control pills do not cause breast cancer. So short term use for one or two years at a time is not likely to cause any significant problems. I think the benefit outweighs the risks.... Yet it is all relative and you only can decide what is best for you.

Tough question: There is a very small increased risk of breast cancer with the use of birth control pills. Our best guess so far is that use of triphasic pills are the primary culprit. It might be worth verifying with your pharmacist that your pills are not triphasic. Also note that birth control pills seem to lower the risk of other cancers. Starting birth control pills as a teenager seems to raise risk.