The International Agency for Research on
Cancer, the Lyon based cancer research agency of the World Health
Organization (WHO), in its
press release of the 29th of July 2005,
informed of the publication of a monograph
on the possible carcinogenicity combined estrogen-progestogen oral
contraceptives and combined estrogen-progestogen menopausal therapy,
based on the conclusions of an international ad hoc working group of
21 scientists from 8 countries.
Previously, combined oral
contraceptives had been determined to be carcinogenic to humans, but
only primary liver cancer was specifically implicated. The Working
Group, after a thorough review of the published scientific evidence,
concluded that combined oral contraceptives alter the risk of
several common cancers in women.
Estrogen-progestogen oral
contraceptives were classiflied in the
Group 1 of
carcinogenic agents. This category is used when there is
sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans.
These conclusions are of enormous
public health importance, since it is estimated that worldwide, more
than 100 million women –about 10% of all women of reproductive age–
currently use combined hormonal contraceptives. In addition, there
has been widespread use of hormonal menopausal therapy:
approximately 20 million women in developed countries.
For all these women, the message is
that the use of oral contraceptives increases the risk of breast,
cervix and liver cancer. On the contrary, the risks of endometrial
and ovarian cancer are decreased in women who used combined oral
contraceptives.
Rearding combined estrogen-progestogen
menopausal therapy, WHO warns that it increases the risk of breast
cancer and endometrial cancer (at least when progestogens are taken
fewer than 10 days per month) and that there is not sufficient
evidence to conclude that hormonal therapy has a protective effect
at any cancer site.
The WHO experts call to a rigorous
analysis to demonstrate what can be, at the end, the overall net
public health outcome of the use of oral contraceptives. In
addition, each woman who uses these products is now invited by WHO
to discuss the overall risks and benefits with her doctor, taking
into consideration her personal circumstances and family history of
cancer and other diseases.
FIAMC invites all health care providers to attentively
consider the results of the WHO study, which sheds new light on the
prophetical value of Paul VI
Humanae Vitae
and of John Paul II
Evangelium Vitae encyclicals, and encourages catholic
doctors to spread the methods for
natural family planning also in western affluent
societies.
Gian Luigi Gigli, MD
President of the World Federation of Catholic Medical
Associations
3/VIII/05
