Treatment for Infertility and Risk of Female Cancers

The possibility that ovulatory stimulants used in the treatment of female infertility may influence the risk of cancer is an area of growing concern. Drugs and procedures administered to infertile women have changed dramatically during the past few decades, and few studies have been conducted to assess the effects of medications currently in use. Induction of ovulation with agents such as clomiphene, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), human menopausal gonadotropins (HMG), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) typically results in higher serum levels of estradiol and an increased number of ovulatory follicles per cycle than those occurring in naturally cycling women. Conceivably, the extent of these changes may be sufficient to affect the risk of some cancers, particularly those of the ovary, breast, and uterus.