Fertility Treatments and Breast Cancer: A Significant Risk for Our Patients?

Abstract

Fertility medications have been postulated to increase the risk of breast cancer because of the transient but substantial elevation in hormones occurring with their use. Multiple studies exploring the relationship between fertility medications and risk of breast cancer are limited by the wide variety of fertility treatment regimens and confounded by infertility as an independent risk factor for breast cancer. The Practice Committee Guidelines of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine acknowledge that although this relationship is complex, no additional risk of breast cancer has been consistently linked to infertility medications. This article reviews the major studies both supporting and refuting this statement and makes recommendations regarding risk counseling and breast cancer screening in patients with a history of fertility treatments and infertility.

Keywords: assisted reproductive technology (ART); breast cancer; in vitro fertilization (IVF); infertility.