In recently published research analyzing oral contraceptive use among women, British investigators found a transient increased risk of cervical cancer among pill users compared to non-users. However, the cervical cancer risk returned to normal 10 years after quitting the pill, and the risk was offset by a reduction in ovarian and endometrial cancers.
Previously, other studies have noted a link between using oral contraception and cervical cancer, but this is the first to determine the duration of that risk, according to Dr. Jane Green, a University of Oxford cancer epidemiologist, and colleagues.
The authors analyzed data from 24 studies, which enrolled more than 16,000 women with cervical cancer and 35,000 without. In developed nations, cervical cancer cases by age 50 increased from 3.8 per 1,000 women who did not use the pill to 4.5 among women who used the pill from age 20 to 30. In less developed nations, incidence rose from 7.3 cases per 1,000 women who did not take the pill to 8.3 cases per 1,000 pill users.
The findings reinforce the importance of testing for cervical cancer, said Ciaran Woodman, a University of Birmingham cancer researcher. Most cervical cancer cases are caused by the STD human papillomavirus. "The take-home message should be that all women must come for screening when invited," she said.
The report, "Cervical Cancer and Hormonal Contraceptives: Collaborative Reanalysis of Individual Data for 16,573 Women with Cervical Cancer and 35,509 Women Without Cervical Cancer from 24 Epidemiological Studies," was published in The Lancet (2007;370(9599):1609-1621).
11/08/07
UNITED KINGDOM: Cervical Cancer Risk Seen Higher When on Pill
Source: Reuters; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention