Question about the pill

Ok so i know the pill reduces ovulation therefore can reduce the risk of certain cancers, but i also heard it needed to be taken for at least 5 years. Is that consecutive or so long as you took the pill for a total of 5 years whether it was 2 here or 3 here for example? Also also- when i was a teen and went on the pill for my acne, i don’t recall if i ever had a period while on it or not. I want to say i was still bleeding regularly only bc i don’t recall being “oh why am i not bleeding anymore” like i did when i went back on recently. I can’t say for sure what my cycle was like 10+ years ago nor can i say what the brand was (pink case blue pills??) and i certainly can’t say if i was 100% taking them on the dot religiously. But if that’s the case, do those years count at all? Or because i possibly bled all that time with unknown knowledge of how well i took them make that time not contribute to the “5 years to reduce risk” factor?