Melanoma risk after in vitro fertilization: A review of the literature

Melanoma Following In Vitro Fertilization: Co-incident or Coincidence?

“…Specifically, melanoma growth and progression can be enhanced by decreased expression of estrogen receptor beta which normally seems to function as a tumor suppressor. However, the definitive mechanism of estrogen-associated melanoma carcinogenesis remains to be established; it might be postulated, in women following in vitro fertilization that the excess estrogen causes down regulation of estrogen receptor beta and thereby results in limiting the receptor-related suppression of melanoma [3][4][5][6][7].…”

“…They observed that the studies did not demonstrate a definitive association between the development of melanoma and prior in vitro fertilization among all infertile women. However, they also noted that the data revealed that ever-parous women with infertility who were treated with in vitro fertilization had a potential increased risk for melanoma [6].…”

“…The primary cause of melanoma is ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure or indoor tanning bed use [1][2][3]. Melanoma has been observed following delivery by natural pregnancy and in vitro fertilization-associated pregnancy [4][5][6]. A 43-year-old woman who had received in vitro fertilization and developed a melanoma five months after delivery of twins is described and the occurrence of post-in vitro fertilization melanoma is reviewed.…”

Dissecting Molecular Events in Pregnancy-Associated Melanoma

“…A study by Hartman et al found that transferring melanoma cells to in vitro monolayer cultures altered melanoma biology in ways that adopted a more invasive phenotype 105 . In such monolayers, an increased expression of genes related to invasion included ID3 (with fold change as high as 43.3) and other matrix metalloproteinases (MMP9 and MMP2). Several members of the ID family (ID1, ID2, and ID3) are known to play a role in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis through increasing expression of matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) which mediate membrane degradation and cell migration 106 .…”

“…The possible link between fertility drug therapy and melanoma remains an ongoing debate, however a 2018 review of the literature established an increased risk for malignant melanoma in infertile patients treated with in-vitro fertilization (IVF)43 . A study on 42 cases found nulliparous women to have an increased risk of disease when taking clomiphene44 , while another large cohort Danish study of 112 cases found only a slight increase in risk of…”