(January 24, 2008 - Insidermedicine) Taking oral contraceptive pills can reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer. The longer the Pill is taken, the more it reduces this risk, according to research published in The Lancet.

Here are some facts about ovarian cancer:

•    It is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women.

•    It is usually diagnosed in women over the age of 50.

•    Symptoms most commonly seen in women with ovarian cancer include abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling, or bloating; urinary urgency; and pelvic discomfort or pain. Many conditions can cause these symptoms, however, so it is important to receive a diagnosis from a trained physician.

Researchers from the Collaborative Group on Epidemiological Studies of Ovarian Cancer analyzed data collected from 45 studies that explored ovarian cancer rates. Overall, this included information on over 23,000 women with ovarian cancer, 31% of whom had taken the Pill in the past, and over 87,000 women without ovarian cancer, 37% of whom had taken the Pill in the past.

In high income countries where rates of ovarian cancer are highest, taking the Pill for ten years reduced the rate of ovarian cancer in women over the age of 75 from about 12 per 1,000 women to about 8 per 1,000 women. It also reduced the number of deaths from ovarian cancer before the age of 75 from about 7 per 1,000 women to about 5 per 1,000 women. If 5,000 women were to take the Pill for one year, this would prevent about two cases of ovarian cancer and one death from ovarian cancer from occurring.

Based on these findings, the authors conclude that taking the Pill reduces the risk of developing ovarian cancer over the long-term. In fact, they estimate that oral contraceptive drugs have already prevented some 200,000 ovarian cancers and 100,000 deaths from ovarian cancer from occurring.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.