Contraceptive pill linked to prostate cancer increase
A group of Canadian scientists are calling for more detailed research to be carried out to investigate the possible link between the use of the contraceptive pill and rising cases of prostate cancer.
It comes after a study conducted by the researchers suggested incidences of prostate cancer are higher in areas of the world where use of the contraceptive pill was also popular.
Other contraceptive products used by women such as condoms or the coil have not been linked to the male cancer.
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Although the researchers have stressed the findings are purely statistical and more research needs to be done to clarify the links, they believe an increased exposure to oestrogen could cause men to be more susceptible to prostate cancer.
They have also said that when passed in urine, the oestrogen hormone could have contaminated drinking water supplies and the food chain.
As part of the research, the scientists compared two sets of data from 2007 from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the United Nations World Contraceptive Use report.
They used the data to identify rates of prostate cancer and disease associated deaths along with the number of women using an oral contraceptive pill.
The link between the two was found to be strongest in Europe although the study showed the connection and link were irrespective of a nation’s wealth.
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