Is the birth control pill carcinogenic?

Answer 1

The Birth Control pill appears to lower the risks of some times of cancer while increasing the risk of other types.

What the original author of this answer didn't mention is the updated review by IARC published in 2012. She also omitted information about the types of cancers for which the birth control pill appears to lower the risk. Judge for yourself by reading the document, found in related links. That review notes the following in its summary of the current research on cancer and birth control pills:

There are increased risks for cancer of the breast in young women among current and recent users only, for in-situ and invasive cancer of the uterine cervix, and for cancer of the liver in populations that are at low risk for HBV infection (this risk is presumably masked by the large risk associated with HBV infection in HBV-endemic populations).

In addition, for cancer of the uterine cervix, the magnitude of the associations is similar for in-situ and invasive disease, and the risks increase with duration of use, and decline after cessation of use.

For cancer of the endometrium, the Working Group concluded that oral contraceptives are protective against endometrial cancer, that the magnitude of the protective effect increases with duration of use, and that it lasts for at least

two decades after cessation of use. There is also evidence that the level of the protective effect is proportional to the progestogen potency of the preparation, and inversely proportional to its estrogen potency.

For cancer of the ovary, the Working Group concluded that oral contraceptives are protective against ovarian cancer. The reduction in risk increases with duration of use and persists for at least 30 years after cessation of use. The level of protection is at least as great for newer, lower dose preparations or for older, higher dose

oral contraceptives. The reduced risk is seen in women with and without a genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer.

For cancer of the colorectum, the Working Group concluded that it is unlikely that the use of oral contraceptives increases the risk of cancers of the colon or rectum. The aggregate information suggests that oral contraceptives may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

The Working Group concluded that the use of oral contraceptives is unlikely to alter the risk of cancer of the thyroid, lung, stomach, urinary tract, gallbladder, pancreas, or the risk of lymphoma, cutaneous melanoma, and tumours of the central nervous system.

Yes. Combined Oral Contraceptives are classified as carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization

•The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer research agency of WHO, in its press release of the 29th of July 2005, informed of the publication of a monograph on the carcinogenicity of combined estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives (COC) and combined estrogen-progestogen menopausal therapy (HRT), based on the conclusions of an international Working Group of 21 scientists from 8 countries.

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Estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives were classified in the Group 1 of carcinogenic agents, after a thorough review of the published scientific evidence.

•This evaluation was made on the basis of increased risks for cancer of the breast among current and recent users only, for cancer of the cervix and for cancer of the liver in populations that are at low risk for hepatitis B viral infection. The IARC also noted decreases in the incidence of cancer of the ovary, endometrium, and colon/rectum.