Is it True That Birth Control Pills Prevent Womb Cancer?

The naturally occurring female hormones estrogen and progesterone have been linked to many types of cancer, but research has also found that chemicals that mimic estrogen, also called endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) can also contribute to the development of cancer. Birth control pills contain man-made forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone so naturally researchers were curious if birth control pills could also contribute to cancer. Womb or uterine cancer is a common type of cancer occurring in every 2 out of 100 women. The research on this topic has had varying results. It seems the overall birth control can help prevent some types of cancer while increasing the chances of developing other types of cancer. In this article, we explain the link between birth control and uterine cancer.

What is Endometrial Cancer?
Endometrial cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the uterus, the pear-shaped organ in a woman’s body for fetal development. Endometrial cancer develops in the cells that form the lining of the uterus. Luckily, endometrial cancer is often discovered early on because it causes abnormal vaginal bleeding for which women usually seek help immediately. While early discovery helps save women’s lives, the sad part is that surgical removal of the uterus is necessary. There are two types of uterine cancer called type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is caused by estrogen predominance and usually has a good prognosis while type 2 is not associated with estrogen and develops in elderly women and has a poor prognosis.

Birth Control and Cancer
Taking birth control to prevent certain forms of cancer is a controversial subject. Studies have found that the pill can increase a woman’s chance of developing breast, cervical and liver cancer. On the brighter side, oral contraceptives can prevent ovarian and endometrial cancer. However, the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology at the Baystate Medical Center, Springfield published an article stating that the health benefits associated with taking birth control outweigh any risks. Besides protection from certain forms of cancer, the pill can help decrease the chances of ectopic pregnancies, increase bone density and decrease menstrual-related symptoms. Besides this, the increased chance of getting ovarian or cervical cancer by using oral contraceptives is relatively small.

Risks vs. Benefits
Considering the huge number of studies supporting the findings that oral contraceptives significantly decrease the chances of developing uterine cancer which is very common, we can see how the benefits outweigh the risks. A recent study published in The Lancet Oncology found that birth control provided long-term protection from uterine cancer for up to three decades. According to this research, taking birth control for 5 years reduced a woman’s chance of uterine cancer by 25 percent. And the best part is that this protection persisted for more than 30 years after stopping taking birth control.

How does Birth Control Prevent Cancer?
Researchers aren’t really sure how birth control prevents uterine cancer but through some logical assumption, they’ve concluded that it has to do with the number of times a woman has ovulated. Oral contraceptives prevent ovulation from happening and researchers also know that the less a woman ovulates, the less her chances of developing uterine and ovarian cancer are. They know this because the risk factors associated with these cancers are those that indicate that a woman has had many ovulations. These risk factors are never giving birth, early start of menstruation, symptoms of menopause, and estrogen therapy.

Should you Take Birth Control?
While birth control can help protect you from uterine cancer, it is best to talk to a specialist to see if this benefit is good for you. You should talk to your doctor about this especially if you are at high risk of breast cancer. If someone in your family has suffered from breast cancer, there may be a genetic predisposition for this type of cancer and the risk may increase by taking birth control.

Some Alternatives
Of course, the pill is not the only way you can reduce cancer risks. Apparently, intrauterine devices (IUDs) seem to lower the risks of developing uterine cancer as well. Intrauterine devices are even used in women who have pre-cancers to help them preserve their child-baring ability. Other alternatives are diet and exercise, both of which can reduce your chances of developing endometrial cancer. Scientists have found a link between high-fat diets and endometrial cancer. Cutting down on fat and eating healthy is a good way of protecting overall health but also of reducing the risks of developing endometrial cancer.

Conclusion
In short, birth control pills can significantly reduce one’s chances of developing uterine cancer. Birth control does so by reducing a woman’s exposure to estrogen which can cause many forms of cancer. However, birth control can slightly increase the likelihood of developing cervical and breast cancer so before considering taking birth control pills, talk to your doctor to see if this is your best option to prevent uterine cancer.

References:
http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/sex-and-love/birth-control-pills-could-slash-your-risk-endometrial-cancer
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet