Does oral contraception cause cancer

Abstract

The effect of oral contraceptives on the development of cancer indirectly is explored with regard to cancer of the female genital tract and the breast. No correlation between oral contraception and squamous cell carcinomas of the vulva and vagina and tumors of the ovary is known. As yet no statistics are available on the incidence of carcinoma of the endometrium in women who took oral contraceptives during their reproductive life span. Because of the direct hormonal suppression of the endometrial growth by oral contraception a protective effect against endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer must be expected. For cancer of the female breast no protective and no enhancing cancer risk due to progestational agents can be postulated. The known fragmentary data suggest rather a protective effect. Regarding dysplasia and carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix large investigations with great numbers of patients are available. An increase of the risk of developing cancer of the cervix by using oral contraception cannot be shown with sufficient accuracy at our present state of knowledge by statistical means. Some observations suggest that oral contraception increases the relevant exogenous factors for carcinogenesis of the uterine cervix such as sexual behavior and hygiene.(Authors modified)