Last year approximately 256,000 women had the new diagnosis of breast, endometrial, ovarian and cervical cancer. About 69,000 women died. The increase is a risk ratio about 1.3 and the risk decreases to 1.0 after 10 years. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of the female reproductive malignancies. On the other side, ovulation induction medicines such as clomiphene citrate, which is used to cause ovulation in infertility patients, is suspected of slightly increasing the risk of ovarian cancer.
Cervical cancer is present more often in contraceptive pill users than nonusers.
This results in an increased risk ratio of about 1.5-1.9. An uncommon form of cervical cancer, adenocarcinoma, also shows an increased risk ratio of about 2.0-2.5 with pill use. We must remember, however, that cervical cancer is a sexually transmitted disease that is increased by having multiple sexual partners and is decreased by using barrier contraceptives such as condoms. Many physicians think that the excess risk for cervical cancer due to pills merely represents its comparison to non-pill users who predominantly use barrier contraceptives. No scientific studies have yet confirmed or denied this.