werner@aecom.UUCP (Craig Werner) (11/04/85)
A few years back, a study or two suggested (but not conclusively) that
the Pill (Estrogens, Oral Contraceptives, etc.) raised the risk of breast
cancer.
This prompted a lot of concern, but more importantly for this article,
a better study. The latest study concluded rather conclusively that the use
of oral contraceptives DOES NOT raise the risk of Breast Cancer, and this is
true regardless of age, the amount of time the pill was used, and whether the
pill was Estrogen or Estrogen/Progesterone.
Previously, The Pill was shown to lower the incidence of Ovarian Cancer
(but only slightly), and it is still not clear whether or not it raises or
lowers the risk of Cervical Cancer (probably not statistically significant).
To be quite honest, this result will actually have less effect on the
use of the pill as a contraceptive as it will as a post-menopausal Estrogen
supplement. Post-menopausal women are at greater risk for both Breast Cancer
and Osteoporosis. Estrogens help the latter, and now it can be said that they
won't help promote the former.
--
Craig Werner
!philabs!aecom!werner
"It's hard to argue with someone who knows what he's talking about."