The British daily the Guardian titled lately: ” The contraceptive pill protects against the cancer”. The article returned the results of a published in the British Medical Newspaper. The authors of the survey concluded that the use of oral contraceptives was associated to a reduction of 12% of the cancer risk (all types of disconcerted cancers). But that demonstrate the other results of this survey?
The researchers get more shaded results when they take account of the data retailed of the survey. Their numbers even demonstrate that the contraceptive pill could have the risks of some cancers increased.
The team of British researchers followed, during 36 years, a cohort of 46 000 women in order to value the effect of the oral contraceptives on the impact of the cancer.
Of the opposite results
They constituted two different data bases, of which one contained supplementary information on the women who had been followed closely by their physician. The researchers had access therefore to data on the length of the use of the oral contraceptives and on the recourse to the replacement hormonotherapy at the time of the menopause.
According to the results of the second data base, the reduction of the risk was not anymore of 12%, but of 3%, a non meaningful result on the statistical plan. In fact, the use prolonged of the oral contraceptives (eight years and more) was associated to an increase of the risk to contract a cancer, indicate the analysis retailed of the results.
Of the shared risks
Compared to the women who don’t make use of it, those that take oral contraceptives would have a risk increased to be reached of a breast cancer, of the collar of the uterus and the liver, return the authors of the survey. This growth of the risk fades away progressively during the ten years that follow the stop of the oral contraception.
On the other hand, the results of the survey indicate that the use of the pill anticonceptionnelle would be associated to a reduction of the risk to suffer from a cancer of the endomètre (mucous membrane of the uterus), of the ovaries and, possibly, of a cancer colorectal.
To prescribe or not the pill?
In light of these results, a physician can he/it recommend to his/her/its patients to take oral contraceptives in order to reduce their risk of cancer? ” I would never affirm such a thing. I am too conscious of the dangers of such a recommendation concerning public health. It would be too simplistic to say that all women should take the pill”, affirm the main researcher of the British survey, the Dr Philip Hannaford. The physicians had their lesson, he/it sustains. ” Five years or ten years ago, one would have affirmed that all women had to take replacement hormones to decrease the cardiovascular risk. Today, one knows that it is a very bad advice to give to them.
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