Pill linked to higher cervical cancer risk

London -- A report in a British medical journal said women who take contraceptive pills for an extended length of time face a higher risk of cervical cancer.

The study, published in The Lancet, said the risk increases the longer the pill is taken but returns to normal 10 years after use of the pill stops, Britain's Independent newspaper said Friday. Doctors also said the risk is more than outweighed by the protective effect of the pill against ovarian and endometrial cancer.

The findings were based on a review of 24 studies of pill use. The report estimated that taking oral contraceptives from about the age of 20 to 30 increased the incidence of cervical cancer by the age of 50 from 3.8 to 4.5 per 1,000 women living in developed countries. In less developed countries, cervical cancer incidence rose from 7.3 to 8.3 per 1,000 women, the newspaper said.

© 2007 United Press International.