Key result
Previous oral contraception use is linked to long-lasting systemic metabolic alterations including higher C40:6 phosphatidylethanolamines.
Why the study?
Biological mechanisms linking oral contraception to hormone-sensitive cancers are not well understood, with use lowering ovarian cancer risk but modestly increasing breast cancer risk.
Does previous oral contraception use alter plasma metabolomic profiles associated with breast and ovarian cancer risk in premenopausal women?
Population
2,072 premenopausal women in Nurses' Health Study II with self-reported oral contraception history
Comparison
Prior oral contraception use ≥1 years vs never use and per 5 years use
Design
Observational cohort study with matched nested case-control analysis
Follow-up
At least ≥3 years after blood draw
Authors
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May inform OC history in metabolomic cancer risk assessment; hypothesis-generating for persistent lipid pathways mediating breast and ovarian cancer links.
Observational (n=2,072)
Does previous oral contraception use alter plasma metabolomic profiles associated with breast and ovarian cancer risk in premenopausal women?
Effect estimate: β=0.09 (95% CI 0.04, 0.14)
Long-lasting alterations of systemic metabolism, particularly in lipid metabolism, may partially explain the associations between oral contraception use and breast or ovarian cancers.
Mongiovi et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Breast and ovarian cancers (n=2,072). Oral contraception vs. Never use was evaluated on C40:6 phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) levels per 5 years of oral contraception use (β=0.09, 95% CI 0.04, 0.14). Previous oral contraception use was associated with long-lasting alterations in systemic metabolism, including higher C40:6 phosphatidylethanolamines (β=0.09; 95% CI: 0.04-0.14) per 5 years of use.
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