Study shows greater cancer risk

In the penultimate paragraph of this letter by Joel Brind (BMJ 2008;336:59-60, 12 Jan; doi: 10.1136/bmj.39450.636875.3A) our editing misinterpreted the meaning of the original. The second sentence of that paragraph should read: “Although they [Hannaford et al. BMJ 2007;335:651; doi: 10.1136/bmj.39289.649410.55] note that fewer than a quarter of users [of oral contraception] in their study had used oral contraceptives for that long [more than eight years], current patterns of use are usually for much longer periods and also more often start before first full term pregnancy, a use pattern that is associated with three times the increase in risk of breast cancer compared with the lower use pattern.”