Studies show that oral contraceptives may protect women from ovarian and endometrial cancer even decades later

Taking oral contraceptives protects women from ovarian and endometrial cancers, and the protective effect lasts for decades after discontinuation, involving more than 250,000 women. It became clear. According to a research team at Uppsala University, the results allow women and doctors to make more informed decisions when considering the use of oral contraceptives, forming an important step towards personalized medicine. Will be.

Findings published in Cancer Research suggest that a protective association between ovarian and endometrial cancer was significant until 35 years after women stopped using oral contraceptives.

“Women who used oral contraceptives were clearly at a much lower risk of developing both ovarian and endometrial cancer. Fifteen years after discontinuing oral contraceptives, the risk was about 50% lower.. However, reduced risk was detected 30 to 35 years after discontinuation, “said Åsa Johansson, the corresponding author of the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University in Sweden.

There are multiple methods of contraception. Combined oral contraceptives, also called “pills,” contain the hormones estrogen and progestin and are prescribed by a doctor. The pill is taken at the same time each day.

Unlike compound pills, progestin-only pills (sometimes called minipills) have only one hormone, progestin, rather than both estrogen and progestin. This is also prescribed by your doctor and taken at the same time each day. In both cases Typical According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the failure rate is 7%.

How common are these cancers in the United States?

An estimated 21,750 Americans, according to the National Cancer Institute Ovarian cancer It is estimated that 13,940 people will die of the disease in 2020. Based on data from 2015 to 2017, about 1.2% of women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer at some point in their lives. In 2017, an estimated 233,364 women had ovarian cancer in the United States.

“Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in the number of cancer deaths in women. Accounting For more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. About half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are over 63 years old. It’s more common in white women than in African-American women, “explains the American Cancer Society.

Cancer of the endometrium (endometrium) is the most common cancer of the female reproductive organs, says the American Cancer Society. Endometrial cancer mainly affects postmenopausal women.Average age of women Diagnosed Endometrial cancer is 60 years old and is not common in women under the age of 45.

“By 2020, about 65,620 new cancers of the uterine body (uterine body or body) will be diagnosed. About 12,590 women will die of endometrial cancer. This cancer is slightly more common in white women. As you can see, black women are more likely to die from it, “experts suggest.

analysis

This study includes women born between 1939 and 1970. “We conducted an observational study of 256,661 women at UK Biobank. Oral contraceptives have been available for about 60 years now, giving us the opportunity to estimate long-term risks and benefits. Early reproductive years. Many women in our study who were using oral contraceptives at the stage are now at the age of peak risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer, and therefore our Research can give new leads to lifelong cancer risk, researchers explain.

Of these, 210,443 (82%) have used or are still using oral contraceptives and have been designated as users. 46,218 (18%) have never used oral contraceptives and have been designated as having never used them. Of the users so far, 4,659 women reported to be current users.

The total number of cancer cases identified in this study was 17,739 (6.9%), 1,966 (0.76%), and 16,2,462 (0.96%) for breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer, respectively.

“The cumulative risk of cancer during the study period, measured at an odds ratio of 8 (OR), and the instantaneous risk, measured at a hazard ratio (HR), were assessed for ovarian and endometrial cancer. The probability of developing the disease was OR: 0.72 and OR: 0.68, which were lower than those who had never used it before. Given the set of evidence presented in our study, oral contraceptives They claim that they can dramatically reduce the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer in women, “the researchers emphasize.

Oral contraceptives have previously been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. In the current report, the team found only a slight increase in the risk of breast cancer among oral contraceptive users, and the increase in risk disappeared within a few years after discontinuation. Results are important because, according to them, the use of oral contraceptives is generally associated with side effects such as deep vein thrombosis and breast cancer.

“Our results suggest that the lifetime risk of breast cancer may never differ between previous users and users, even if the short-term risk increases,” says Johansson. ..

Experts recommend that understanding both the short-term and long-term effects of exposure is essential given the large number of women currently taking oral contraceptives. “With deeper knowledge, both women and doctors can make more informed decisions about the use of oral contraceptives. Decisions are also made on women’s individual risk factors or family members and previous cancers. It may be based on medical history, “the author concludes.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions about your medical condition, always seek advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider.