Incidence of Breast Cancer after IVF

The question of whether IVF treatment, and exposure to fertility drugs in particular, might be associated with long-term health risks is important.  Any studies should be based upon large patient numbers and preferably over the longer term.

Summary

Two studies both carried out in Australia have concluded that there is no overall increased risk of breast cancer with IVF treatment. However the most recent study cautions that commencing treatment at a young age (less than 30) could be associated with an increased rate of breast cancer. It is recommended that patients discuss any concerns regarding fertility treatment and the incidence of cancer with their specialist doctor who can consider their personal circumstances.

Breast cancer study (2012)

A follow-up study was published in Fertility and Sterility in 2012. This study was carried out in Western Australia by the School of Population Health at the University of WA and the University of Notre Dame and followed 21,025 women aged 20-44 who had IVF treatments between 1983 and 2002. This study divided the patients into age groups (cohorts) and compared the incidence of breast cancer in these age groups. The main conclusion from this study was that there is no overall increase in the rate of breast cancer for women who had IVF across all age groups. However, the study did conclude that commencing IVF at an age of less than 30 did slightly increase the rate of breast cancer in that age group.

Breast, ovarian and uterine cancer study (1993)

In 1993 Monash IVF, in collaboration with the Cancer Council of Victoria and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University, did a study aimed to address concerns that fertility drugs used in IVF might be associated with an increased risk of cancer. The study followed 10,358 women who registered with the Monash IVF programme between 1978 and 1992. The number of cases of cancer that occurred in these women, up to the end of 1993, was determined from cancer registries. The main findings were published in The Lancet and showed that women in the IVF programme were no more likely to have developed breast cancer than women of the same age in the general population. There were only small numbers of cancers of the ovary (6 cases) and uterus (5 cases). Ovarian cancer was not significantly more common than in the general population. Women in the IVF programme were more likely to have developed uterine cancer than women in the general population, irrespective of whether they had received drugs or had withdrawn without any treatment. Women with an unexplained infertility had a higher incidence of ovarian and uterine cancer than women with known causes of infertility, or the general population. These results await confirmation of future studies.