Pill and Pregnancy Lower Risk of Ovarian Cancer

Jakarta, Using birth control pills for 10 years can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer as much as 45 percent. Overall, women who take birth control pills for a long time have a risk about 15 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer than those who never took birth control pills at all.

Drinking birth control pills for more than 10 years had the greatest impact in reducing the risk of ovarian cancer, followed by pregnant women and mothers who have more than one child.

Among women using the pill for one year or less, tererang risk of ovarian cancer is about 28 per 100,000 per year. For women who take the pill for at least 10 years, this risk decreased by about half to around 15 per 100,000 per year.

Women who become pregnant have a 29 percent lower risk of developing ovarian cancer compared with women who had never been pregnant. Among women who had never been pregnant, tererang risk of ovarian cancer is 34 per 100,000 per year. For women who have been pregnant at least once, this risk drops to about 24 per 100,000 per year.

In large families, the benefits are also getting bigger. In women who have children, each additional child lowers ovarian cancer risk as much as eight percent.

"Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect, so prevention is the key to saving women who suffer from this disease. The results of this study is important because most women do not know that birth control pills or pregnancy can help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer later in life," says Naomi Allen, Cancer epidemiologists Research from the University of Oxford England.

The study, reported by Medicalxpress.com, Thursday (12/27/2011) It has not set how factors such as birth control pills and pregnancy can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. One theory that can be given is that birth control pills or pregnancy can alter hormone levels can affect a woman's risk of developing the disease
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While able to protect against ovarian cancer, birth control pills can increase the risk of breast cancer that will disappear after use is stopped. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer attacking women in the UK with more than 6,500 cases are diagnosed each year.

"Women should be reassured that contraceptive pills are not only effective in preventing pregnancy, but also beneficial to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. The results of this study indicate at least balanced by the increased risk of breast cancer," said Dr. Richard Edmondson, female oncologists Cancer Research from the University of Newcastle.

"To put things in context, it is estimated that if 100,000 people are women who use the pill for ten years or more, then there will be 50 more cases of breast cancer will occur, but there will be 12 fewer of ovarian cancer. The drug is important for women if the family's risk of ovarian cancer, "added Dr. Edmonson.