Different use of oral contraceptives (OCs) in relation to reproductive histories and age might explain the conflicting results found in studies from different countries of OC use and premenopausal breast cancer. A population-based case-control study in Sweden and Norway has been analysed separately for the two countries. The study consists of 317 Swedish and 105 Norwegian cases diagnosed 1984-1985 with 317 Swedish and 210 Norwegian controls. The results for each country separately are consistent with the joint analysis showing increased risk for breast cancer with increased duration of OC use with the exception of that for women with more than 15 years since first use. The relative risk of breast cancer for more than four years of use among Norwegian women was 0.6 (95% confidence internal (Cl), 0.2-1.8). In both countries there was a non-significant higher risk associated with increasing duration of use before first full-term pregnancy. Analyses for surveillance bias show no evidence of bias as explanation for the association between total duration of OC use and breast cancer.