Pill May Protect Against Cancer

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30540, 8 September 1964, Page 2

Pill May Protect Against Cancer

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, September 7.

There was increasing evidence that oral contraception would protect against gynaecological diseases such as cancer of the breast or cervix, said Mr C. G. Liggins, senior lecturer at the post-graduate school of obstetrics and gynaecology, National Women’s Hospital, today.

He returned yesterday | from a 14-day world trip dur-| ing which he lectured in Britain and the United Stateson developments in oral con-1 traception and prenatal blood transfusions at the school. Doctors he had talked with overseas were convinced there was no possibility of harmful side effects from the use of. oral contraceptive pills, said Mr Liggins. .“In fact, long-term studies show that the reverse may be’ true,” he said. “It seems the pills may protect against some gynaecological diseases.” Mr Liggins said there was no sound basis for fear of oral contraception, but it was wise for doctors to continue to' watch the use of this method. The longest it had been used anywhere was eight or nine years. * Same Hormones Suggestions that future generations might be affected could be disregarded, he said.

| The hormones used in the tablets were the same as i - some of those used in treat- ; I ing disorders of pregnancy ■! and could not harm the unl J born child. As a result of his trip and ijthe personal contacts he established, Mr Liggins said - progress on developments in ;! oral contraception at the , hospital would be speeded up considerably. He predicted ; no major change on present ;. methods in the foreseeable 5 future. t Mr Liggins said the pre- - - natal blood transfusion tech- - nique developed at the ; i National Women's Hospital f; had caused “quite a stir” in ; 1 medical centres overseas.