Aspects of gastrointestinal tumors during the reproductive years.

During the reproductive years, tumors of the digestive organs are uncommon in women in the U.S.A. Nevertheless, two predisposing factors have been identified and are discussed in this article. The first of them concerns the benign and malignant tumors of the liver thought to be associated with the long-term use of oral contraceptives. The second is the increased incidence of colon cancer in patients with longstanding, chronic ulcerative colitis. Measures aimed at prevention and early detection are reviewed and discussed.