According to one of the greatest works ever study of cancer, receiving oral contraceptives reduces the threat of the disease.
This conclusion reassure millions of women who had used the drug 30-40 years ago and now are at an age when the risk of the disease most high.
The study showed that women who took the pill for 8 years or less, the risk of the disease any kind of cancer by 12% less. However, for those few who took them more than 8 years old, scientists from the news is worse: the threat of an incurable disease for these women at 22% above.
Stronger all, it means reduces the risk of bowel cancer, rectum, uterus and ovaries. There is no short-term impact of the use of this drug on the occurrence of breast cancer have been identified.
"Probably, our findings reassure many women, especially those who used the first generation of oral contraceptives - a new study authors write. - Properties oral contraceptives reduce the risk of cancer to zero."
Maria Lidbiter of charity care for victims of breast cancer Breast Cancer Care said: "The results of this study pleased thousands of British women who have used or are currently using oral contraceptives."
The team of researchers from Aberdeen University, compiled the material that from 1968 to accumulate in the Royal Medical College, based on data from 1400 treating physicians whose patients took the pill. Then this material compared to those of a control group, which participants did not use oral contraceptives. The study was attended by 46 thousand women, whose average age was 29 years old. All of them were married or had a constant sexual partner.
Doctors watched by women before 2004, all cases of cancer recorded.
At the disposal of scientists and the other was less extensive array of information from treating physicians, for the period until 1996, which gave them an alternative source of statistical data.
Published in the British Medical Journal showed that the contraceptive pill reduces the risk of any type of cancer for most women, although the degree of benefit varies depending on which of the two sets of statistics used by scientists for analysis.
After analyzing an array of basic information, researchers have identified a decrease of 12% of the risk of any type of cancer. This means that oral contraceptives annually exclude cancer each 2200 - and women from those who took them.
The second, more modest-sized array of information has also shown beneficial effects of these pills, although less: a decrease of 3% risk of disease, that is, on one case in each year is less than 10000 - a woman.
Those women who take contraceptive drugs more than 8 years (25% of subjects), constitute an exception. Among them, the risk of the disease significantly higher. On average, respondents had used oral contraceptives for 44 months.
Professor Philip Hannaford, head of research group, said: "This study suggests that in this generation of British citizens named species contraceptive use was not associated with increased risk of illness any kind of cancer on the contrary, the drug can kneel in good stead health" .
Each year approximately 3 million women in Britain and 100 million worldwide take the pill. Since 1961, when they get there, they have benefited from more than 300 million women.