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Cutaneous malignant melanoma in women and the role of oral contraceptives
Author(s) -
Olaf Gefeller,
Karima Abdelaty Hassan,
L. Wille
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1998.02037.x
Subject(s) - medicine , odds ratio , confidence interval , etiology , cohort study , population , epidemiology , relative risk , gynecology , prospective cohort study , case control study , obstetrics , environmental health
The role of oral contraceptives (OC) in the aetiology of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) has been controversially discussed over the last two decades. In an extensive literature search we identified 18 case‐control studies, published between 1977 and 1996, offering information on this relationship. Using a meta‐analytical approach we combined the study‐specific risk estimates and derived a summary odds ratio of 0.95 (95% confidence interval: 0.87–1.04). Based on the data of 3796 cases and 9442 controls, we thus found no evidence for an aetiological role of OC use in the development of CMM.