The Prostate Cancer Charity comments on new research into the
association of the contraceptive pill and prostate cancer, from the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the United
Nations World Contraceptive Use, published in BMJ Open.
Dr Kate Holmes, Research Manager at The Prostate Cancer Charity,
said: ""This study does not present a strong evidence case for an
association between the use of the contraceptive pill and prostate
cancer, nor does it intend to. It is intended to explore the
possibility that release of endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs)
into the environment, a process which is not unique to the pill,
might impact on the incidence of the disease. However, for all of
the 87 countries in the study, there is no information on the level
of these chemicals in the environment, with the focus on the
contraceptive pill as the sole source, which we know is not the
case.
"Other types of contraceptive use are investigated too, to rule
out the potential that increased levels of sexual activity are
related to prostate cancer, or that a sexually transmitted
infection could be linked to the disease. However, it would not be
a surprise that countries which have a higher use of the
contraceptive pill also have a higher detection level of prostate
cancer, as this would be a reflection of a higher quality health
care system in that country.
"While this study raises some interesting questions about the
presence of EDCs in the environment, it does not contribute to our
overall understanding of the development of prostate cancer."