2 min readMelbourneMar 31, 2010 02:50 PM IST
First published on: Mar 31, 2010 at 02:50 PM IST
Regularly taking oral contraceptive pill (OCP) may reduce chances of reoccurrence of ovarian cysts after surgery,a new study has claimed.
The evaluation study carried out for Faculty of 1000 Medicine (F1000) by New Zealand researchers provides evidence that OCPs can reduce the reoccurrence of endometriomas,commonly known as ovarian cysts.
For the study,of total of 239 patients who had got their cysts removed surgically were followed up for two years and their progress evaluated by the researchers.
They were randomised into groups: those with no prescribed treatment,those taking cyclic OCPs,and those taking continuous OCPs,according to the research published in Fertility and Sterility.
The researchers found that women who took OCPs had significantly fewer recurring cysts.
“This study is perhaps the only randomised controlled trial that has evaluated the effectiveness of the use of long-term postoperative OCP treatment to prevent endometrioma recurrence,” said Neil Johnson and Shelley Reilly – the researchers.
“The length of treatment appears to play an important role in the efficacy of therapy,” the researchers said and added long-term treatment seems to be the key.
Suggesting an immediate change to current clinical practise,Johnson and Reilly said: “If the use of an OCP is considered to reduce the risk of recurrence of an endometrioma after laparoscopic cystectomy,treatment should be given for at least two years”.
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