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Query: UMLS:C0476089 (endometrial cancer)
 11,379 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The benefits of combined oral contraceptives are put into perspective, considering their effectiveness as a contraceptive, actual risks for breast, ovarian, endometrial and cervical cancer, and effects of reproductive and other body systems. Combined oral contraceptives are the best contraceptives available except for injectable progestogens, therefore they an reduce the risk of maternal mortality by at least 5 in nonsmoking western women, or over 100 in developing countries. No data are available on mortality risk of the presumed safer low-dose pills. Pills reduce ectopic pregnancy to virtually nil. They decrease the risk of endometrial cancer, and of ovarian cancer for up to 15 years after use. Although they protect against benign breast disease, both fibrocystic disease and fibroadenoma, which are risk factors for breast cancer, it is unsettled whether pills affect breast cancer incidence. Cervical cancer risk may be slightly higher. Functional ovarian cysts requiring surgery are cut about 10-fold; corpus luteum and follicular cysts are also reduced. Fibroids are decreased in proportion to duration of use. Pelvic inflammatory disease rates fall 50% during use. Chlamydial infections have not fallen in pill users, but it is not known whether sexual activity is a factor. Combined pills cut abnormal uterine bleeding by about half, reduce the incidence of iron deficiency anemia and of premenstrual tension. Seizures related to menses also are controlled. Some studies find a reduction in rheumatoid arthritis. Most of the cardiovascular complications of pills are thought to be dose related. Since today's pills contain approximately the same dose as a whole cycle of the original pills, it is expected that these risks will be greatly reduced, especially with better screening of candidates that is now the rule.
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PMID:The benefits of combined oral contraceptives. 269 95

Focus in this discussion of the pharmacology of gynecology is on the following: vaginal infections; genital herpes; genital warts; pelvic inflammatory disease; urinary infections; pruritus vulvae; menstrual problems; infertility; oral contraception; and hormone replacement therapy. Doctors in England working in Local Authority Family Planning Clinics are debarred from prescribing, and any patient with a vaginal infection has to be referred either to a special clinic or to her general practitioner which is often preferable as her medical history will be known. Vaginal discharge is a frequent complaint, and it is necessary to obtain full details. 1 of the most common infections is vaginal candidosis. Nystatin pessaries have always been a useful 1st-line treatment and are specific for this type of infection. Trichomonas infection also occurs frequently and responds well to metronidazole in a 200 mg dosage, 3 times daily for 7 days. It is necessary to treat the consort at the same time. Venereal diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea always require vigorous treatment. Patients are now presenting with herpes genitalis far more often. The only treatment which is currently available, and is as good as any, is the application of warm saline to the vaginal area. Genital warts may be discovered on routine gynecological examination or may be reported to the doctor by the patient. 1 application of a 20% solution of podophyllum, applied carefully to each wart, usually effects a cure. Pelvic inflammatory disease seems to be on the increase. Provided any serious disease is ruled out a course of systemic antibiotics is often effective. Urinary infections are often seen in the gynecologic clinic, and many of these will respond well to 2 tablets of co-trimoxazole, 2 times daily for 14 days. In pruritus vulvae it is important to determine whether the cause is general or local. Menstrual problems regularly occur and have been increased by the IUD and the low-dose progesterone pill. Infertility necessitates investigation. It is helpful to use the temperature chart method to determine whether the patient is ovulating. Oral contraception merits only passing mention, i.e., the introduction of a new sequential pill containing ethynloestradiol and levonorgestrol. There is always the question of a possible relationship between long-term OC use and the development of endometrial cancer. There are certain definite indications for hormone replacement therapy, i.e., hot flushes, sweating and atrophic vaginitis.
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PMID:The pharmacology of gynaecology. 744 23

Among 30-40 year old women, 40% of pregnancies are unplanned, which is indicative of the unreliability of the birth control methods they are using. The 1992 Ortho Birth Control Study interviewed almost 7000 women, of whom 8% listed withdrawal and 4% listed the rhythm method. These two methods have failure rates of 24% and 19%, respectively. Birth control methods often disappoint the users and increasingly they turn to sterilization. 48% of married women aged 15-44 had themselves been sterilized or had a sterilized partner in the Ortho survey. Although reversal of tubal ligation succeeds in 43-88% of cases, conception cannot be guaranteed. For women over the age of 30 who are healthy and do not smoke, low-estrogen or no-estrogen oral contraceptive pills are considered safe. Taking the pill also helps prevent ovarian and endometrial cancer. The failure rate is 6%. Barrier methods also offer protection from sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. Condoms are favored by 33% of unmarried women and 19% of married women. Sexually active 40-44 year old unmarried women run a 14-19% risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in a 12-month period. Diaphragms offer some protection against STDs, but their failure rate is 18%. IUDs are regaining popularity, but only 1% of women use them (ParaGard T380A or Progestasert). Pelvic inflammatory disease is the reason: a 1992 study showed that 0.97% of women developed it within 20 days of use. Norplant is a long-term implant containing levonorgestrel with a failure rate of 0.5%. A 1993 study followed 1253 implant users over 12 months and found a very low rate of pregnancy, but 75% experienced some side effects during the first year. About half of the women using Norplant removed it after 2.5 years because of irregular bleeding. Depo-Provera is an injectable administered every 3 months, but after removal it can take up to a year for ovulation to return. Side effects may include hair loss and weight gain; and links to breast cancer have also been suggested.
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PMID:Birth control over 30. 1229 85