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Research suggests that women who use modern forms of the combined pill have a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who do not take hormonal contraception.
The study confirms earlier findings regarding older forms of the combined pill – an oral contraceptive containing artificial versions of estrogen and progesterone. The modern forms of the pill contain different doses of synthetic estrogen and different types of progestins, and are sometimes taken continuously.
"[For] women of reproductive age who use contemporary hormonal products, this [study’s] the results are reassuring as they continue to show a reduced risk of ovarian cancer associated with combined oral contraceptives, "said Dr. Lisa Iversen, first author of the research, although she admits that the study does not prove the cause and the effect.
In the BMJ, researchers from the University of Aberdeen and the University of Copenhagen describe how they used a Danish database that collects national information on hormonal prescriptions delivered by individuals with other data, including understood their cancer records.
After eliminating cases of cancer or infertility in women before the records start, the team found itself with data regarding more than 1.8 million women aged 15 to 15. 49 years between 1995 and the end of 2014.
Overall, 86% of hormonal contraceptives were given as a combination pill.
After taking into account such factors as age, number of children, studies and family history of ovarian cancer, the team found that women who already had who did not have it, with a 42% reduction in risk for current or recent users, and a 23% reduction for those who have not used it for a year or more.
The decline in risk among users, they add, was all the more important as women used hormonal contraception longer and the overall reduction was more pronounced in those taking the combined pill than in those using only progestins. or an intrauterine device releasing a progestin.
However, further analysis casts doubt on the fact that the link really extends to progestin-only contraceptives.
Overall, they stated that the use of hormonal contraceptives meant that the incidence of ovarian cancer was 21% lower than it would have been otherwise.
Although the research was funded by pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, the authors claim that the company played no role in the study.
The study has its limitations: for example, researchers stopped following women at the age of 50, so the impact on women as they age has not been studied. According to Cancer Research UK, 53% of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed each year in women 65 years of age and older.
Although incidence rates vary from country to country, recent figures suggest that there are approximately 7,400 new cases of ovarian cancer each year in the United Kingdom.
Ovarian cancer is not the only problem that has been examined with regard to hormonal contraceptives: among other researchers, members of the same team have already discovered that women taking hormonal contraceptives are at increased risk of treatment for depression.
Dr. Channa Jayasena, clinical lecturer in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London, did not participate in the study. However, Jayasena emphasized that the pill remains an important tool for women.
"[The study] shows that the combined pill, considered by patients and GPs to be the most risky, also has some advantages [progestin-only] methods, "he said.
Fiona Osgun of Cancer Research UK said, "The good news is that it confirms what we know, so there is no need to trade your prescription. But the risk of other types of cancer can be affected, so if you plan to start or stop the pill, be sure to talk to your doctor who can tell you about the pros and cons of your situation to help you decide. "
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