September 7, 2016.
Women are less likely to suffer from ovarian cancer today than they were ten years ago. An Italian study has just revealed the beneficial effects of oral contraception on the prevention of this disease.
The widespread use of the pill lowers the number of ovarian cancers
Ovarian cancer deaths have fallen dramatically in many parts of the world. This is the finding established by Italian researchers who publish the result of a large study in the journal Annals of Oncology. These scientists from the University of Milan even argue that this figure could fall further in the years to come.
Researchers attribute this decline to the spread of oral contraception in developed countries. In the European Union, mortality from ovarian cancer fell by 10% between 2002 and 2012from 5.76 deaths per 100,000 women to 5.19 deaths. This favorable development is even more evident in the United States, where the number of deaths linked to ovarian cancer has fallen by 16%. Everywhere, Italian scientists believe that this decline is likely to continue at least until 2020.
Less hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women
” Large variations in death rates in Europe have decreased since the 1990s […] It is probably due to more consistent use of oral contraceptives on the continent, as well as reproductive factors, such as the number of children per woman », Underlines Professor La Vecchia, one of the authors of this study.
Italian scientists also point to the decline in the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among postmenopausal women. The latter have long been prescribed, even though some studies have shown that they promote breast and ovarian cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease. This decline began about ten years ago, and the beneficial consequences for women’s health are being felt today.
To read also: Implant, pill, IUD… What do you know about hormonal contraception?
