Here is an easytoremember acronym to help you determine whether to consult your doctor about what could be pillrelated complications. Seek help if you experience jaundice, a breast lump, or any of the following warning signals:
A Abdominal pain (severe)
C Chest pain (severe), cough, shortness of breath
H Headache (severe), dizziness, weakness, or numbness
E Eye problems (vision loss or blurring), speech problems
S Severe leg pain (calf or thigh)
Source: Contraceptive Technology. Irvington Publishers Inc., New York, NY, 1994.
OC use has been implicated in a rare form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma. However, since so few people ever develop this cancer, it has been difficult for researchers to determine with accuracy whether OCs were actually the cause. The largest study to include data about hepatocellular carcinoma found no association with OC use. In addition, death rates from liver cancer in the United States haven't changed since the introduction of OCs to the marketplace in the 1960s.
Despite a suggestion that OC use might lead to skin cancer, followup studies indicate no difference in the risk for Pill users versus nonusers. There is also no proven relationship between OCs and kidney cancer, colon cancer, gallbladder cancer, or pituitary tumors.
