Pill prevents womb cancer

Oral contraceptives reduce the risk of women developing endometrial cancer. However, endometrial cancer is uncommon among young women, although the risk rises dramatically with age. Now, new research suggests that oral contraceptives confer long-term protection against endometrial cancer.

Researchers combined individual data from 27,276 women with endometrial cancer and 115,743 females without endometrial cancer (controls) who participated in 36 epidemiological studies. The median age at which endometrial cancer was diagnosed was 63 years, while 3% of cases of endometrial cancer were diagnosed in women less than 45 years of age, 14% at 45 to 54 years, 41% at 55 to 64 years, and 42% at 65 years or older. A further 35% of women with endometrial cancer and 39% of controls had used oral contraceptives, for medians of three and 4.4 years, respectively.