Protection against endometrial carcinoma by combination-product oral contraceptives

Seventy-nine patients with endometrial carcinoma were compared with 203 control subjects regarding their use of combination-product oral contraceptives (OCs). Overall, 6.3% of patients and 15.3% of control subjects had used these products. The risk of endometrial cancer for users of OCs was less than half the risk for nonusers. Five years or more of use reduced the risk to a third. Recent users were strongly protected, whereas discontinuation resulted in risks returning to those of nonusers. Furthermore, OCs with predominantly progestational effects of intermediate formulations produced greater protection than those with predominantly estrogens. This pattern of results is biologically consistent with a protective effect of combination-product OCs against endometrial carcinoma.