There is no link between oral contraceptive pills and breast cancer in women, a major study has concluded.

Research carried out in the US on more than 9,000 women found that those who had taken the Pill were no more likely to develop breast cancer than those who had not used the contraceptive.

The scientists said their finding refutes previous studies which have suggested a link.

The results of this study will be reassuring to women taking the contraceptive pill

Breakthrough Breast Cancer

Experts said the findings would reassure thousands of women but have warned that further studies are needed.

Dr Polly Marchbanks and colleagues at the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention interviewed more than 9,200 white and black women between the ages of 35 and 64 in five major cities across the country.

Roughly half of those questioned had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.

'No greater risk'

The researchers found that women who had used any type of oral contraceptive did not have a greater risk of developing breast cancer.

Even those women with a family history of breast cancer were not at increased risk of developing the disease if they had taken the Pill.

Similarly, the study found no link between women who took the oral contraceptive over a long period or from an early age and an increased risk of breast cancer.

The results were generally similar among all age and racial groups.

Dr Marchbanks said: "These results are good news. For women 35 to 64 years old, this study provides reassurance that oral contraceptives do not increase the risk of breast cancer."

Dr David Fleming, acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, echoed that view.

"This study should ease women's fears about oral contraceptives and breast cancer risk."

Reassuring

A spokesperson from the UK charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer said: "The results of this study will be reassuring to women taking the contraceptive pill.

"Unfortunately there is still relatively little known about what increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.

"This highlights why we need more research into how we can prevent breast cancer in the future."

Anne Weyman, chief executive of the Family Planning Association, said: "Studies on the Pill and breast cancer are often complex and contradictory, and this research adds another piece to the jigsaw.

"The causes of breast cancer are many and varied, with key risk factors including age, family history and diet.

"The most important thing for women is to understand the benefits and risks of the contraception they use, so they can make the choice that's right for them."

The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.