A novel research found that women taking the Pill for ten years had diminished their risk of ovarian cancer by half. However, the risk of ovarian cancer must be balanced against the threat of breast cancer that is higher in women taking the Pill.
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most widespread cancer in women globally with more than six thousand cases are diagnosed each year only in UK. Several aspects are known to play significant role counting age, faults in certain genes, obesity and smoking. There were approximately thirty cases of ovarian cancer per one hundred thousand women who used the Pill for a year or less.
For analysis experts followed more than three hundred thousand women, who were enrolled in a large European study known as European Prospective Investigation of Cancer (EPIC). The study participants were taking oral contraceptive pill that contains two hormones called oestrogen and progestogen. The study found substantiation that taking the Pill for ten years halve the threat of ovarian cancer.
In comparison, women those taking Pill for fewer years are at least risk. It was also found that having a baby diminished the threat of ovarian cancer and the more babies a woman had the higher the protection she had. But, some other studies did not find any association between breastfeeding and protection against ovarian cancer.
According to Naomi Allen an epidemiologist for Cancer Research UK at the University of Oxford who works on the EPIC study, ovarian cancer is hard to detect and its prevention is key to save women suffering from this disease. These outcomes are important as most women do not know that taking the Pill or getting pregnant can help diminish their risk of ovarian cancer later on in life.
The study adds weight to earlier research suggesting aspects such as the Pill and pregnancy can impact on cancer risk by altering hormone levels in the body. The study was published in the British Journal of Cancer. Meanwhile a separate study suggested that some newer types of contraceptive pill are more prone to cause blood clots.
Women might be reassured to know that the oral contraceptive was not only an effective contraceptive but could have the added benefit of diminishing their risk of ovarian cancer. This may be particularly important for women with an increased risk of ovarian cancer in their family, explained Dr Richard Edmondson from the Northern Institute for Cancer Research.