Open AccessMalignant melanoma and oral contraceptive use among women in California
Author(s) -
Valerie Beral,
S Ramcharan,
Raef Faris
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
british journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.833
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1532-1827
pISSN - 0007-0920
DOI - 10.1038/bjc.1977.265
Subject(s) - medicine , melanoma , family planning , cancer , gynecology , dermatology , population , obstetrics , research methodology , environmental health , cancer research
Women who had used oral contraceptives, particularly long-term users, were found to have higher rates of malignant melanoma and of a past history of skin cancer than those who had never used oral contraceptives. This excess was confined to lesions of the lower limb. The association between oral contraceptive use and melanoma was noted in 3 separate sets of data, although it was statistically significant only in one. The possibility that this relationship is indirect because, for example, oral contraceptive users are more likely than never-users to be exposed to sunlight and thus to develop malignant melanoma, cannot be excluded.