Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Oral contraceptive and breast cancer: do benefits outweigh the risks? a Case - control 
study from Jordan  
 
Vers ion: 1 Date: 21 Oct 2018  
 
Reviewer: Yusuf Cetin Doganer  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The association between oral contraceptives and breast cancer remains still unclear in terms of 
combinations and duration of usage. This study entitled "Oral contraceptive  and breast cancer: 
does benefit outweigh the risk? a Case - control study from Jordan" had been set up to describe 
this relationship from the point of view in patients from Jordan. Here are my suggestions for this 
manuscript:  
1. Estrogen is the main tri gger hormone to start the carcinogenesis process in the breast. 
Therefore, describing the relation between OCs and breast cancer presence with regards 
to only presence of OC usage and not to make any analysis based on combinations cause 
scientific errors. For example, it is believed that progestins and their derivatives rarely 
cause breast cancer. If the authors could not be able to make this analysis, they should 
add a statement that this is another limitation of the study. Because, the authors should 
not generalize and attribute the OCs usage effect to Breast Cancer presence with the 
current manuscript. This condition also warned by the 2nd reviewer's 4th question in the 
previous evaluation.  
 
2. In the statistical analysis section, the authors should state  that how they decide about the 
normal distribution of variables, what test they used. (Such as Kolmogorov Smirnov test 
etc.) 
 
3. The correct terminologies for the tests: Chi -square test and Mann Whitney -U test.  
 
4. The sentence of " To study the  correlat ion between the incidence of breast cancer and 
possible risk factors and their degree of contribution to breast cancer using binary 
logistic regression, with p -value < 0.05 indicating statistical significance."  is weird 
according to grammar rules and shou ld be rewritten.  
 
5. Please use another word instead of 'like' and express your thoughts in better ways. 'Like' 
does not seem proper for a scientific paper.  
 
6. Please correct the 'cotemporary' as a 'contemporary' in conclusion section.  
7. Please describe  the full form of abbreviations used in tables and write them below tables.  
(BSC, N/A etc.)  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the a uthors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an  additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevant to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this  manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied f or patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
No 
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
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I agree to the open pee r review policy of the journal