Contraceptive pills may provide an additional benefit. An Australian study published in the _International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer_ found that women who use birth control pills have a lower risk of ovarian cancer.
For the study, researchers analysed data from 2,21,732 women aged 37-73. The analysis included information on nearly 3,000 diverse characteristics related to health, medication use, diet and lifestyle, physical measures, metabolic and hormonal factors to assess the factors influencing the risk for ovarian cancer.
During a follow-up of nearly 13 years, 1,441 women developed ovarian cancer. Women who had ever used the pill had a 26 per cent lower risk of ovarian cancer. And those who took oral contraceptives after the age of 45 were 43 per cent less likely to develop ovarian cancer.
Women who had given birth to two or more children had a 39 per cent lower risk of developing ovarian cancer, compared with those who did not have children. Other factors linked to a reduced risk included having a lower body weight and shorter stature.
About 70 per cent of ovarian cancer cases are identified at a late stage, when the cancer has significantly advanced. The survival rate is less than 30 per cent over five years with late detection, while it is more than 90 per cent when the cancer is caught early, the study noted.
Birth control pills work by preventing or reducing ovulation. “This study shows that certain risk factors for ovarian cancer are modifiable, suggesting that weight reduction and interventions to reduce the number of ovulations may provide potential for future prevention,” the study concluded.