Oral Contraceptives Linked to Increased Risk of Certain Cancers

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Oral Contraceptives Linked to Increased Risk of Certain Cancers

January 18, 2010, 11:44 am

According to the National Cancer Institute, several studies have revealed a link between the use of oral contraceptives and an increased risk of certain types of cancer, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, and liver cancer. The connection between the development of some cancers and naturally-occurring sex hormones prompted scientists to look into the relationship between the use of oral contraceptives and cancer risk.

In a 1996 analysis of 54 worldwide studies involving more than 53,000 women, those using certain types of oral contraceptives had an elevated risk of breast cancer, and women who began taking contraceptives as a teenager had the highest risk. The study found that 10 years after a woman taking oral contraceptives, the risk of breast cancer returned to the same level it was prior to when contraceptives were taken.

Oral contraceptives are prescribed to women to prevent pregnancy, and typically contain two synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. The hormones in contraceptives resemble the hormones naturally produced by the ovaries, but the possible cancer risk associated with the use of hormonal medications is continually studied by researchers and doctors.

The risk of developing breast cancer is often attributed to hormones. Women with high hormonal levels, such as those who begin menstruation before the age of 12 or those who experience menopause after the age of 55 at a young age have an increased risk of breast cancer.

Additionally, several studies have revealed that the risk of developing liver cancer in typically low-risk populations, including white women without liver disease, was increased following the long-term use of oral contraceptives. The risk was not elevated in Asian or African women.

Though the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of cancer of the cervix, long term use of oral contraceptives is also linked to the development of cervical cancer. In data analyzed from studies conducted on more than 12,500 women in 2003, the International Agency for Research on Cancer noted an increased risk of cervical cancer in women with extended use of oral contraceptives. Similar to the risk associated with breast cancer, the risk of cervical cancer attributed to the use of oral contraceptives appears to decrease when the medication is no longer taken.

http://www.drugwatch.com/news/2010/01/18/oral-contraceptives-linked-increased-risk-certain-cancers/