Clinical use of fertility agents and risk of breast cancer

The relationship between fertility, reproductive hormones, and risk of malignant melanoma has acquired much interest in recent years. Melanocytes are hormonally responsive cells, and some in vitro studies demonstrated that estrogen hormones stimulate the growth of melanocytes. Moreover, estrogen receptors have been identified in melanoma cells, as well as in melanocytic nevi and in normal skin. Some evidences suggest a possible link between fertility treatments and the increased risk of malignant melanoma. This article addresses this association through a scrupulous search of the literature published thus far. The aim of this review is to determine the incidence of malignant melanoma in women treated with fertility drugs and to examine if the exposure to fertility treatments really increases the risk of malignant melanoma. In particular, our analysis focused on the different types of drugs and different treatment schedules used. Finally, this study provides additional insights regarding the long-term relationships between fertility drugs and the risk of malignant melanoma.

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Cancer in women after assisted reproductive technology

Luke

Brown

Spector

et al. 2015

Fertility and Sterility

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Objective To evaluate the risk of cancer after assisted reproductive technology (ART) therapy. Design Longitudinal cohort of New York, Texas, and Illinois residents between 2004-09, treated with ART, and whose cycles were reported to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcomes Reporting System (SART CORS). Setting Not applicable Patients Cycles of 113,226 women, including 53,859 women without prior ART treatment, were linked to their respective Cancer Registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated, comparing the observed to expected cancer cases based on age-specific cancer rates in the general population of each State. Among the cohort of women without prior ART therapy, hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for treatment parameters and reproductive history factors. Intervention None Main Outcome Measures Diagnosis of cancer, as reported to the State Cancer Registry Results Mean follow-up was 4.87 years; among women without prior ART, 450 women developed 460 cancers. Women treated with ART had significantly lower risks for all cancers (for all women: SIR 0.78, 0.73-0.83; and women without prior ART: SIR 0.75, 0.68-0.82), breast cancer, and all female genital cancers; nonsignificant lower risks for endocrine and uterine cancer; and nonsignificant higher risks for melanoma and ovarian cancer. Among women without prior ART, there were no significant increased HRs by parity, number of cycles, cumulative FSH dosage, or cycle outcome. Conclusions These results suggest no greater risks for developing cancer after nearly 5 years of follow-up compared to the general population, and to other women treated with ART. Capsule These results suggest no greater short-term risks for developing cancer compared to the general population, and to other women treated with ART.

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Clinical use of fertility agents and risk of breast cancer

Cited by 3 publications

References 78 publications

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

Correlation between fertility drugs use and malignant melanoma incidence: the state of the art

Cancer in women after assisted reproductive technology

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