Oral contraceptives use and liver tumours: a review

Of the nine epidemiologic controlled studies reporting on the relationship between oral contraceptives use and hepatic tumours, three have findings specifically on the association of oral contraceptives use and hepatocellular adenomas. The strength of this association is reported to be dependent more on long-term oral contraceptive use. Three other studies have reported similar relationships of oral contraceptives use with hepatocellular carcinoma, whereas the remaining three other studies have reported no association between oral contraceptives use and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is however, an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma as the duration of oral contraceptives use increases. The risk of developing hepatocellular adenomas is higher in oral contraceptives users over 30 years of age than in the younger age groups. These tumours occur more often in oral contraceptive users taking pills with high doses of estrogens and progestogens; while they are not only associated with oral contraceptives containing mestranol, but also those containing ethinylestradiol.