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The contraceptive pill has 'prevented 200,000 cases of cancer'

The contraceptive Pill has 'prevented 200,000 cases of cancer' - Alamy
The contraceptive Pill has 'prevented 200,000 cases of cancer' - Alamy

Research by Oxford University suggests that oral contraceptives reduce the risk of womb cancer

The longest study ever carried out into the health risks of the contraceptive pill has found that it protects women against some cancers for more than 35 years after they stop taking it. 

It found that taking the contraceptive pill for any length of time lowered the cases of bowel cancer by 19 per cent, endometrial cancer by 34 per cent and ovarian cancer by 33 per cent. 

In recent years, fears that taking the Pill could raise the risk of breast and cervical cancer have been quelled by new research.

In 2008, researchers found that regular use of oral contraceptives for 15 years could halve the risk of ovarian cancer.

In 2015 it was found that the Pill has helped to prevent 200,000 cases of womb cancer over the previous ten years.

According to Oxford University researchers, for every five years a woman spends taking the Pill, her chance of developing womb cancer decreases by around 25 per cent.

The study published in The Lancet Oncology journal found that for women who have taken the Pill for a decade, rates of womb cancer diagnosis fell from 2.3 per 100 to 1.3 per 100.

Research shows the contraceptive pill can lower the risk of certain cancers
Research shows the contraceptive pill can lower the risk of certain cancers

Researchers looked at data from 36 studies involving 143,000 women and estimated that 400,000 cases of endometrial cancer, which affects the lining of the womb, have been prevented due to the Pill in the past 50 years.

Oral contraceptives have been known to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer, but the extent of this was unclear until now.

The study also found that the protective effects of the Pill could last for more than 30 years after the women stopped taking it.

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The longer women used oral contraceptives, the lower their risk of developing endometrial cancer.

Professor Valerie Beral, lead author of the study, said:

"Previous research has shown that the Pill also protects against ovarian cancer.

"People used to worry that the Pill might cause cancer, but in the long-term, the Pill reduces the risk of getting cancer."

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