High-dose and low-dose combined oral contraceptives: protection against epithelial ovarian cancer and the length of the protective effect

Karin A. Rosenblatt, David B. Thomas, Elizabeth A. Noonan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The relations between use of high-dose and low-dose combined oral contraceptives and epithelial ovarian cancer were compared in an international hospital-based case-control study. 393 cases from seven countries were compared with 2561 matched controls. The odds ratio (OR) was somewhat lower for women who used high-dose oestrogen oral contraceptives (OR = 0.68) than for women who used low-dose preparations (OR = 0.81) although the difference could have occurred by chance. After controlling for time since last use, risk was slightly lower for long-term users of high-dose preparations than for long-term users of low-dose pills. Both high-dose and low-dose oral contraceptives protect against ovarian cancer, but the degree of protection may be slightly weaker for the newer, low-dose products.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1872-1876
Number of pages5
JournalEuropean Journal of Cancer
Volume28
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 1992
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'High-dose and low-dose combined oral contraceptives: protection against epithelial ovarian cancer and the length of the protective effect'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this