A 31-year-old woman has used a combined oral contraceptive pill continuously for 8 years. She reads that hormonal contraception is linked to cervical cancer. According to the IARC classification, long-term oral contraceptive use is categorized as:
- A Group 1 human carcinogen ✓
- B Group 2A probable carcinogen
- C Group 2B possible carcinogen
- D Group 3 unclassifiable
Correct answer: A. Group 1 human carcinogen
Explanation
IARC Monographs classify combined oral contraceptive use of 5 or more years' duration as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans, based on increased risk of cervical cancer in HPV-infected women. The risk declines after cessation. The distractor Group 2A applies to agents such as red meat processing occupations, not to COCs, whose evidence in HPV-positive women meets the Group 1 threshold.
Reference: Williams Gynecology, 4th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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