The association between oral contraception and hepatocellular adenoma--a preliminary report

Women with long-term use of oral contraception (OC) are at increased risk of developing a serious, though nonmalignant, liver tumor--hepatocellular ademona (HCA)--according to a case-control study conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in collaboration with the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). The tumor is sometimes fatal, deaths usually being due to sudden rupture and hemorrhage. This study suggests that, in addition to long-term OC use, a women's age and the hormonal potency of the OC she uses affect her changes of developing HCA. Women 27 years old and older who have used OC with high hormonal potency for 7 or more years are at the greatest risk.