A Pill a Day Keeps Cancer At Bay?

A large-scale study has found that short term use of birth control pills can lower uterine cancer risk decades later

Among things rife with myths and half-truths, the “pill” is ranked at the top. Even the health impact it has is mind-numbingly confusing. One common scare associated with the birth control pill has been the risk of breast cancer. Turns out, the opposite may be true.

A new study published in The Lancet Oncology looked at the data of around 1.5 lakh women over 5 decades and found that women who take oral contraceptives for 10-15 years cut their risk of endometrial cancer (cancer of the womb) by half.

Long Term Birth Control Pill Saves Your Life?

This new research comes from scientists at the Oxford University who analysed data from 45 previous studies to conclude that the pill decreases the risk of both ovarian and endometrial cancer for each year a woman takes them. And there’s more awesome news – the reduced cancer risk continues for more than 30 years after coming off the pill.

The study co-author Naomi Allen said calculations show that about 4 lakh cases of endometrial cancer in the past 50 years might have been prevented by the use of oral contraceptives.

But the pill doesn’t come without risks, of course. Besides side effects like weight gain, blood clots, some studies say, it elevates the risk of cervical and sometimes breast cancer in women who use it for prolonged periods.

Didn’t I say the verdict on pills is absolutely perplexing?

Can the Pill be Risky?

The pill is an invaluable medical intervention. But, at the end of the day, an oral contraceptive is an additional dose of estrogen. Even if you are on the “low dose” contraception, remember that a 20 microgram of pill still has 4 times the natural amount of estrogen in a normal menstrual cycle. So in the long run, it is bound to have some side-effects.

Under the microscope, a small amount of estrogen can make cells grow exponentially. These mutations might lead to cancer. The link between estrogen in birth control pills and cancer is not entirely new, (it’s even disclosed on the little pamphlet that accompanies your prescription) & it has been established in some earlier studies. Overall, it has been found that women who take high-estrogen-dose pills for more than a decade, are 3 times more likely to have breast cancer, while the risk for those who take moderate dose is 1.5 times. Till now, no increased cancer risk for low dosage pills has been established in a conclusive, controlled study.

As with most things OB-GYN related, that’s frustratingly confusing. The pill is essential; not getting cancer is too. How do you choose what’s more important—a lifetime of easy reproductive autonomy, or ratcheting down your risk of a deadly disease by marginal amounts?

The caveats in the breast cancer study are in some ways just as important as the findings:

The high-dose pills are rare and no good doctor will prescribe them as a birth control measure. Women might be give a higher-estrogen pill if they have extreme breakthrough bleeding.

The cancer risk returns to normal for women who stop using birth-control pills after a year.

The pill has cancer-fighting effects, too. So if you have a family history of endometrial cancer rather than breast cancer, a higher-dose pill might still be worth taking.

Birth control pills carry risks like just any other medication, but they offer nearly 99.1% protection from pregnancy, (seriously, unwanted pregnancy can be quite a turmoil too), so the rare side effects don’t discourage most women from taking the pill.

If breast cancer runs in your family, and you’re a smoker who is older than 35 years, then check with your doctor on other types of birth control measures. But since the pill is one of India’s most popular contraceptive method, despite decades of yes-it-does-wait-no-it-doesn’t cancer risk research, it seems many women are convinced the pill is not trying to kill them.

Three cheers for birth control!