Skin cancer risk of Hormonal Contraception

Evidence   suggests   that   there   is   no   causal   link   between   oral contraceptive use and melanoma or with benign melanocytic nevi, nor has a specific subgroup of women been consistently implicated, as being at increased risk of this disease due to use of oral contraceptives (76,83,84).

However,  based upon small numbers of cases,  there was evidence that changes in nevi during recent   pregnancies   were   a   risk   factor   for   melanoma (OR = 2.9) (76,83).

Reproductive hormonal factors may have a potential role in cutaneous melanoma but oral contraceptive use does not increase the risk of developing melanoma and generally skin cancer when estrogen exposure is not excessive (86,87,88,89).

Furthermore,women who reported experiencing hyperpigmentation of facial skin during prior pregnancy seem to have a lowered risk for all cutaneous melanoma.
Similarly,women who reported use of acne medication (81,89).

These aspects should be studied further. These data suggest an overall lack of effect of oral contraceptives on cutaneous melanoma risk, in the women population. Although was evaluated that the relative risk, associated with oral contraceptives use for a long period (5 years or longer),which had begun at least 10 years before the melanoma is 1.5(OR) (86).

Rate of European mortality from cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) between 1960 and 1999 have tended to decline since 1990s and this improvement resulted particularly favourable in young women (90).


Rosa Sabatini and Giuseppe Loverro
Dept. Obstetrics and Gynecology,
General Hospital Policlinico-University of Bari, Italy


REFERENCES

  1.   La Vecchiam, C., Negri, E., Franceschi, S., Parazzini, F. (1993). Long-term impact of reproductive factors on cancer risk. Int J Cancer, Jan 21, 53(2), 215-9.
  2.   Medard,  M.L.,  Ostrowska, L.  (2007).Combined oral contraception and the risk of reproductive organs cancer in women .Ginekol Pol, Aug,78(8), 637-41. 
  3.   Casey, P.M., Cerhan, J.R., Pruthi, S. (2008). Oral contraceptive use and risk of breast cancer. Mayo Clin Proc,Jan,83),86-90
  4.   Deligeoroglou, E., Michailidis, E., Creatsas, G. (2003).Oral contraceptives and reproductive system cancer. Ann N Y Acad Sci,Nov,997,199-208.
  5.   White,  E.,  Malone,  K.E.,  Weiss,  N.S.,  Daling,  J.R.  (1994). Breast cancer among young US women in relation to oral contraceptive use.  J.  Nati Cancer Inst, 86(7), 505-14
  6.   Brohet,  R.M.,  Goldgar,  D.E.,  Easton,  D.F.,  Antoniou,  A.C.,  Andrieu,  N., Chang-Claude,  J.,  Peock,  S.,  Eeles,  R.A.,  Cook,  M.,  Chu,  C.,  Nogue`s,  C., Lasset,  C.,  Berthet,  P.,  Meijers-Heijboer,  H.,  Gerdes,  A.M.,  Olsson,  H., Caldes,  T.,  van Leeuwen,  F.E.,  Rookus,  M.A.  (2007). Oral contraceptives and breast cancer risk in the international BRCA1/2 carrier cohort study: a report   from   EMBRACE,  GENEPSO,  GEO-HEBON,  and   the   IBCCS Collaborating Group.J Clin Oncol, Sep 1,25(25), 3831-6.
  7.   Haile,  R.W., Thoma,  D.C.,  McGuire,  V.,  Felberg,  A.,  John,  E.M.,  Milne, R.L., Hopper, J.L. et.al. (2006). BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, oral contraceptives use,and breast cancer before age 50. Cancer Epidemiol.Biomarker Prev, 15(10), 1863-70.
  8.   Daling, J.R., Brinton, L.A., Voigt, L.F., Weiss, N.S., Coates, R.J., Malone, K.E., Schoenberg, J.B., Gammon, M. (1996). Risk of breast cancer among white women following induced abortion. Am J Epidemiol, Aug 15,144(4), 373-80. 
  9.   Daling, J.R., Malone, K.E., Voigt, L.F., White, E., Weiss, N.S. (1997). Risk of breast cancer among young women:  relationship Med to induced abortion. N Engl J, 336(2), 81-5
  10.   Rookus,  M.A.,  van Leeuwen,  F.E.  (1996).Induced abortion and risk for breast cancer:  reporting (recall)  bias in a Dutch case-control study.  J Natl Cancer Inst, 88 (23),1759-64
  11.   Van   Leeuwen,  F.E.  (1991). Epidemiologic   aspects   of   exogenous progestagens in relation to their role in pathogenesis of human breast cancer. Acta Endocrinol, 125(1), 13.

Full References

Page 2 of 21 2

Provided by ArmMed Media