The Long-Term Effects of Steroid Contraceptives

Abstract

Editorial noteThe Twelfth Oliver Bird Lecture was delivered by Professor Richard Doll, Regius Professor of Medicine in the University of Oxford, at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on 19th March 1970. This was the last lecture to be given under the auspices of the Oliver Bird Trust, an account of which starts on page 359. Professor Doll was formerly Director of the MRC Unit of Medical Statistics, in which capacity he had exceptional experience in assessing the significance of changes in the incidences of abnormal conditions. The subject of his lecture was therefore highly appropriate to his special knowledge, as well as to current controversy and to the series of Oliver Bird lectures. The Journal of Biosocial Science is glad to publish this authoritative exposition of a most important problem.

Oral Contraceptives and Breast Neoplasia: A Retrospective Study

“…husband the corresponding figure for the benign lesions was only 86% Perhaps, since malignant lumps generally increase in size more rapidly than benign ones, they are more likely to command the patients' attention. Speculation on the possible relation between oral contraceptives and breast cancer has been mostly based on knowledge of the epidemiology of the disease and on animal experiments (Allen, 1969;Hertz, 1969;Doll, 1970;Leis, 1970). Little direct human evidence has been published, but mortality trends for breast cancer in England and Wales are reassuring (see Chart), as are corresponding data in the United States (Vessey, 1970).…”