Breast cancer : how long and how much exposure to the pill or hormone treatment causes it?

Small risks: The birth control pill for a premenopausal woman and hormone therapy for a postmenopausal woman are completely different situations. In the former there is no increased risk of breast cancer. In the latter there is probably a small measurable increased risk after 4 years but it is not clear how that is affected by the types and routes of administration of the estrogen and progesterone.

Pill OK ERT not sur: Most studies show that birth control pills do not increase the risk of breast cancer. Prolonged usage of post-menopausal ert probably increases risk. For most women short term ( a few years) of ert to help menopausal symptoms is probably safe (unless you are at high risk), but i recommend decreasing dosage after 2-4 years and trying to get off estrogen altogether unless symptoms are intolerable.