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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
08:46
Fertility Preservation Through Oocyte Vitrification: Clinical and Laboratory Perspectives
Published on: September 16, 2021
Cancer risk after exposure to treatments for ovulation induction
R Calderon-Margalit1, Y Friedlander, R Yanetz
1Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. ronitc@ekmd.huji.ac.il
American Journal of Epidemiology
|November 28, 2008
Summary
Fertility treatments for ovulation induction may increase cancer risk. This study found higher rates of uterine and breast cancer, as well as other cancers, in women using ovulation-inducing drugs.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The relationship between ovulation induction treatments and cancer risk remains uncertain.
- Long-term studies are needed to evaluate potential associations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term association between ovulation induction drug use and cancer incidence.
- To analyze cancer risks by specific cancer types and treatment factors.
Main Methods:
- Population-based historical cohort study of 15,030 parous women from the Jerusalem Perinatal Study (1974-1976).
- Cancer incidence data collected through 2004.
- Cox proportional hazards models used for analysis, controlling for covariates.
Main Results:
- Women using ovulation-inducing drugs (n=567) showed increased risks of any cancer (HR=1.36).
- Significantly higher risks of uterine cancer (HR=3.39), particularly with clomiphene (HR=4.56).
- Borderline increased risk for breast cancer (HR=1.42), malignant melanoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Conclusions:
- Ovulation induction therapy is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, notably uterine cancer.
- Further research is required to examine associations by specific drug, dosage, and treatment duration.
- Findings suggest a need for careful consideration of long-term health outcomes in women undergoing fertility treatments.
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