IVF Meds

[AnnaG1]

Hi Dr.P
From time to time, I read posts that bring up the safety of the IVF meds. I have done a ton of reading myself which seems reassuring, but then I do come across some articles that link IVF meds with such things as ovarian/breast cancer. Is there any long term affects that I should worry about?
Thanks so much

[Dr. Potter]

Hi Dr.P
From time to time, I read posts that bring up the safety of the IVF meds. I have done a ton of reading myself which seems reassuring, but then I do come across some articles that link IVF meds with such things as ovarian/breast cancer. Is there any long term affects that I should worry about?
Thanks so much

There are no credible studies that show exposure to fertility drugs increases one's risk for cancer of any sort. The large study that is widely quoted showed that infertile women that took fertility drugs had a higher rate of cancer than fertile women. The press reported that fertility drugs therefore cause cancer. The only problem is that infertility is a risk factor for both breast and ovarian cancer. When you compare cancer incidence in infertile patients that have been exposed to fertility drugs to infertile women that have not, there is no difference in cancer incidence.

[AnnaG1]

Thank you Dr. P for taking the time to answer !

[Lillylolly]

Thank you for posting this, Dr. P!

[desperatefordresses]

I guess my question is sort of the same, yet different. I understand that IVF does not cause breast cancer/ovarian cancer, but my limited understanding was that, if you already had cancer cells in the breast of ovary, the high levels of estrogen via maturing so many eggs would be like fertilizer for any existing cells.

Is that true? So, for example, the cancer would show up ten years earlier than it might otherwise?

Thanks!

[AnnaG1]

I hope Dr. P will see this- I also have read the same thing.

[Dr. Potter]

I guess my question is sort of the same, yet different. I understand that IVF does not cause breast cancer/ovarian cancer, but my limited understanding was that, if you already had cancer cells in the breast of ovary, the high levels of estrogen via maturing so many eggs would be like fertilizer for any existing cells.

Is that true? So, for example, the cancer would show up ten years earlier than it might otherwise?

Thanks!

This is true. Medical evidence would suggest that if you already have breast cancer, for example, and are exposed to high doses of estrogen from IVF or BCPs, that the cells would grow faster if they had estrogen receptors. The evidence also shows that the prognosis in this situation is improved generally because the cancer is detected earlier and is detected in a better differentiated cell type. As cancer festers, it begins to lose the normal features of the breast cell in this example (that is it de-differentiates). The more poorly differentiated the cell type, the tougher they are to treat, the poorer the prognosis and the less likely they are to grow in response to estrogen. FYI, pregnancy is also a high estrogen state and will do the same thing as IVF.

[desperatefordresses]

Thank you so much for your response! I appreciate it!