A successful, and novel, technique to kill metastatic breast cancer cells by circumventing their chemo and radioresistant mechanisms was by presented by Dr. John Giannios, Head of Radiotherapeutic Cancer Research at the IASO Hospital, Athens, Greece at
Antidepressants to treat from moderate to severe depression in pregnant women not only are relatively safe but necessary in many cases for the well-being of the mother and the baby, according to Dr. Nicole Cirino, director of the Women's Mental Health
A successful, and novel, technique to kill metastatic breast cancer cells by circumventing their chemo- and radioresistant mechanisms was by presented by Dr John Giannios, Head of Radiotherapeutic Cancer Research at the
Researchers at the University of Canterbury say a common belief that sexual abuse of children by young females is harmless, has resulted in under-reporting of cases and a lack of appropriate reha
Women who experience pain in the genital area have often been told it's all in their head. New research shows it may well be in the shins, arms and thumbs. Women with a condition called vulvodynia process pain differently, and these women are m
An epidemiological study in this week's issue of THE LANCET highlights the success of the UK's national screening programme for cervical cancer introduced in 1988. Authors of the study outli
The idea that a woman's emotional state during pregnancy affects her unborn child has persisted for centuries and has, in recent years, been supported by science. Called the "fetal programming hypothesis," it theorizes that certain disturbing f
Docosahexaenoic acid, or "DHA," is a nutritional compound (an essential fatty acid, or lipid) that has many effects in the body, including the development of the eyes and brain. Prior to birth, fetuses obtain DHA from their mothers, with DHA primarily
Experts believe that 15 years ago the country was heading for a devastating outbreak of the disease that had the potential to kill around 100,000 women who were born between 1951 - 70.Cancer Research UK scientists estimate in a report published
Women with a history of pre-eclampsia are at increased risk of cancer, particularly cancers of the stomach, breast, ovary, lung and larynx, according to a Columbia University study recently published by the British Medical Journal. Researchers st
Date: Wednesday, 22-Nov-2006
According to a new study by researchers in the U.S., oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices (IUD) appear to provide long-term protection against endometrial cancer.The researchers, led by Dr. Xiao Ou Shu of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee conducted a study of 1,204 women from Shanghai with newly diagnosed endometrial cancer and compared them to 1,212 healthy women.
The women were matched according to various characteristics.
The endometrium is the lining of the uterus, or womb and endometrial cancer involves a cancerous growth in that area which mainly occurs after menopause and causes vaginal bleeding.
A hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) is generally performed to treat the disease.
It is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, and over 35,000 women are diagnosed with it each year.
Effective screening has meant it is now the third most common cause of gynecologic cancer deaths (behind ovarian and cervical cancer).
Endometrial cancer is often referred to as uterine cancer, however the uterus may harbor other malignancies, including cervical cancer, sarcoma, and trophoblastic disease.
The team found that overall, 223 of the cancer patients (18.5 percent) and 302 of the controls (24.9 percent) reported using an oral contraceptive.
After accounting for other known risk factors or protective factors for endometrial cancer, the use of oral contraceptives was associated with a 25 percent reduced risk.
That risk decreased with long-term use and after 72 months, the cancer risk was reduced by 50 percent.
This protective effect was maintained, even 25 years or longer after oral contraceptives were discontinued.
IUD use was associated with a 47 percent lower risk of endometrial cancer and the duration of IUD use, and age when it was first and last use did not significantly alter the association.
The researchers suggest that the progestin component of oral contraceptives may help reduce the overgrowth of cell in the endometrium, while the protective effect of IUDs may be prompted by "inflammatory actions" that eliminate abnormal and precancerous endometrial cells.
The study is published in the International Journal of Cancer, November 2006.