Myth: IVF increases the risk of breast cancer
Here’s The Truth
As IVF (in vitro fertilization) and other fertility treatments increasingly help women across the globe conceive, questions have cropped up concerning its potential side effects on women’s long-term health.
A recent study showed that women who had received six or more IVF cycles did not have an increased risk of breast cancer; nor was there increased risk associated with clomiphene, which can be used to induce ovulation as part of fertility treatment, or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy that helps thicken the uterine lining and support the embryo.
The study also showed “no significant association between fertility treatment and excess breast-cancer risk in patients with more than 10 years’ follow-up.” These results are comparable to previous studies.
If you are considering or are undergoing fertility treatments including IVF, you can talk to your doctor about your concerns and how to stay healthy during treatment while recognizing that IVF does not increase the risk of breast cancer.