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IARC monographs program on carcinogenicity of combined hormonal contraceptives and menopausal therapy.

Schneider HP, Mueck AO, Kuhl H

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Münster, Germany.

The World Health Organization International Agency for Research and Cancer (IARC), in June 2005, has classified combination hormone contraception and menopausal therapy as carcinogenic in humans. The IARC's distinction is to identify potential carcinogens associated with nutrition, environment and pharmaceutical products. They do not produce risk-benefit analyses for any country or population. Their conclusions are highly controversial in that no proof is presented for a causal relation of estrogens with reproductive cancer, be it plausibility according to mechanisms of action or experimental evidence in the animal model. Equating natural compounds like estradiol with defined carcinogens like asbestos, tobacco smoke as well as indispensable drugs such as aspirin and tamoxifen is of no substantial clinical relevance. Thus, there are no new reasons to change current management principles with combination hormone contraception and therapy.

Published 4 January 2006 in Climacteric, 8(4): 311-6.
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