Contraceptives will protect against cancer

Birth control pills have been called protection against certain types of cancer

Ilya Vedmedenko, Naked Science

A long-term study has helped to find out that birth control pills dramatically reduce the likelihood of developing certain types of cancer. However, such drugs can contribute to the appearance of other types of cancer.

The researchers concluded that oral hormonal contraceptives can reduce the risk of developing a number of cancers. The findings of scientists representing the University of Aberdeen can be found in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Iversen et al., Lifetime cancer risk and combined oral contraceptives: the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Oral Contraception Study).

The study was one of the longest among those that analyzed the likelihood of developing cancer in people who once took birth control pills. In total, scientists examined 46 thousand women, their health has been monitored since 1968. It turned out that oral hormonal contraceptives protected representatives of the beautiful half of humanity from cancer even more than 35 years after the end of their intake. The probability of getting bowel cancer in comparison with the control group was 19% lower. The chances of endometrial cancer decreased by 34%, and ovarian cancer – by 33%.

Oral contraceptives would be wrong to consider effective cancer prevention. Previous studies have shown that women who take them are more at risk of facing diseases such as breast cancer and cervical cancer than others. But if the increased risk of developing such oncological diseases disappears within a few years after the end of taking birth control pills, then the "positive" effect, as already noted, can be observed for many decades. The scientists themselves note that before taking oral contraceptives, it is best for a woman to consult a doctor who will choose the best option based on the characteristics of her body.

Recently, we recall, another group of researchers talked about what can help women avoid estrogen-independent breast cancers. According to experts, a good prevention in this case is the Mediterranean diet. 

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  23.03.2017