ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2011 June;170(3):171-5

Copyright © 2011 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Oral contraceptives and benign breast disease

Ciotta L., Stracquadanio M., Pagano I., Carbonaro A., Pafumi C., Zarbo G.

Sezione di Ginecologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Microbiologiche e Scienze Ginecologiche, Università degli Studi di Catania Catania, Italia

Aim and methods. Treatment with estrogen-progestin hormone is the most used therapy by women of reproductive age, both as contraception and for hormonal diseases, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Particular attention should be paid to the effects of Oral Contraceptives on the breast, because it is well known that the benign breast disease (PBM) is related to hormonal changes, for the peculiar effects that steroid hormones have on cell metabolism and structure of breast. The aim of our study was to highlight the effects determined by a long-term treatment with estrogen-progestin on type and progress of the PBM, on a sample consisting of 368 women, related to the ambulatory of Gynecologic Endocrinology of our Department.
Results. In our study we found no statistically significant changes in morphological and anatomical status of the breast in group receiving estrogen therapy compared with control.
Conclusion. Our study confirms what has been reported from previous trials, which showed a neutral or modest response improvement induced by hormonal contraceptives on mammary hyperplasia. This is conceivable as a consequence of reduced and balanced combination of current hormonal preparations, which balance the altered basal endocrine panel, causing a favourable hormonal environment.