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Oral Contraceptives and Skin Cancer

Is There a Link?

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Abstract

The skin expresses estrogen, progesterone, and androgen receptors. In the presence of steroid hormones, such as those contained in oral contraceptives, the skin likely responds to hormonal signals that control the cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA replication, and other cellular functions. Some estrogen-responsive pathways have the potential to promote tumor development, including the augmentation of epidermal growth factor signaling, the expression of proto-oncogenes, and inhibition of apoptosis. The question of whether oral contraceptives increase the risk for the development of skin cancer, particularly melanoma, is still an area of concern. This paper reviews the available evidence, the bulk of which suggests that while the skin responds to estrogens, progestins, and androgens, these responses do not significantly increase the risk of developing skin cancer when estrogen exposure is not excessive.

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Acknowledgment

Preparation of this article was funded by the Cory Beach Family Fund (KL) and the US National Institutes of Health 1R01CA99908-01 (KL). The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, 2211 Lomas Blvd, NE, ACC-4, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA

    Kimberly K. Leslie & Eve Espey

  2. Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

    Kimberly K. Leslie & Eve Espey

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  1. Kimberly K. Leslie
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  2. Eve Espey
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Correspondence to Kimberly K. Leslie.

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Leslie, K.K., Espey, E. Oral Contraceptives and Skin Cancer. Am J Clin Dermatol 6, 349–355 (2005). https://doi.org/10.2165/00128071-200506060-00002

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