Oral Contraceptives and Cancer: New Data

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Hello. I'm Andrew Kaunitz, professor and associate chair in the ob/gyn department at the University of Florida, College of Medicine in Jacksonville.

Today I'd like to discuss good news from Britain regarding the use of oral contraceptives (OCs) and cancer risk. Many of those viewing this video see patients who seek our advice regarding contraception, and a common concern is that hormonal birth control increases cancer risk.

A new study based on data from the United Kingdom clarifies how the use of OCs affects the risk for cancer. Investigators used the UK Biobank, which includes hundreds of thousands of individuals recruited between 2006 and 2010, as well as national databases, to assess associations between OC use and risk for breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer in women born between 1939 and 1970.

Among more than a quarter-million women, more than three quarters had used or were currently using the pill. Overall, the use of OCs was associated with an approximately 30% reduced risk for ovarian and endometrial cancer. In contrast, the risk for breast cancer was similar among those who have used OCs and those who had never used them.

Among women followed to age 55, results were similar for ovarian and endometrial cancers.