I recently found a lump in my breast that doesn't seem to be cancer after mammagram, sonogram, etc.  My doctor recommended I come off my oral contraceptive.  I just read that being on them can help prevent cancer.  How can this be?  Also I have not had children. I am 42 yrs old.

Contraceptives "may" prevent some cancers but cause others. Listen to your doctor.

They definitely increase risk of cervical cancer and maybe also breast cancer, but seem to protect against ovarian cancer.

I  would also get a second opinion about that lump - maybe see a gynecology oncologist. They are more experienced. The fact that you say "does not seem to be" would worry me - better to make sure it is not, period. IMO. What did your doctor suggest as further action other than stop the pill? I know that if I had a lump in my breast I would want it out.

Dr. Weil on HTR:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA83134

and here is a more comprehensive article:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/06/12/contraception-facts.aspx

If you read the most recent reports, the science shows that breast cancer has been over-treated for years.  That is, there have been many unnecessary surgeries.

I've read that 9 of 10 lumps are benign.  Use common sense.  Surgery is a LAST RESORT.

I am taking the more conservative approach, and having another mammogram in 6 mos.  A needle biopsy is the way doc's find out what it is.  My research is that even that invasive of a procedure can spread cancer.  So thank you for your advice but I guess we are on different treatment paths.  Thanks very much for responding to me!  I appreciate all the concern.

I agree with you.  Surgery only spreads cancer.  No doctor would tell you that, but plenty of my friends whose loved ones have died from it are SURE that it spreads once you open the body by any means.  The evidence is widespread.  No doctor will tell you because chemo and radiation and other treatments are BIG money!!  Thanks for your repsonse.

I don't have any lumps, but if I had and was told that the lump does not seem to be cancer my first thought would be: they are not sure, and I would want to know, but that's me. 

Mammograms themselves increase risk of cancer from radiation, and having two mammograms within in a short period, I don't know if I would want that. Compressing the breast can also dislodge cancer cells and cause them to spread. 

<<Mammograms have become increasingly accurate over the years, although there, too, questions have been raised about the exposure to ionizing radiation involved, and there are also legitimate concerns about the compression of the breast that accompanies most such tests, which itself may on occasion be responsible for dislodging clusters of cancer cells, thereby facilitating spread.>>

http://chetday.com/needlebiopsy.htm

Needle biopsies definitely seem to spread the cancer, so that would not be a good option either. 

So what to do? Nothing? Just wait and see? The answer is not easy.