The biggest study ever conducted on fertility treatment worldwide observed an increased risk of ovarian cancer in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
Led by Institute of Child Health professor Dr. Alastair Sutcliffe, researchers from University College London found the increased risk in women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART), in both those who had no children and those with endometriosis being treated for infertility.
Of more than 250,000 women who underwent ART in the United Kingdom between 1991 and 2010, 386 ovarian cancers were recorded - a one-third greater chance of developing the disease compared to the general female population.
While underlying health issues in infertile females may be causing the increased risk, the research was open about IVF itself being the potential culprit.
However, the risk remained relatively small, with just 15 in every 10,000 women developing ovarian cancer over the duration of the study. This is in contrast with about 11 in 10,000 of the general population.
Prof. Sutcliffe, presenting the groundbreaking study at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in Baltimore in the United States, called the findings "mixed news" for patients.
He said that while they found the rates of breast and uterine cancer of the subjects to be no different from other UK women of the same age range within the same timeframe, their ovarian cancer risks were higher.
The risk was shown to be highest in the first three years post-treatment and in younger individuals. According to Prof. Sutcliffe, this is despite most analyses of the dataset suggesting that the increased risk was mostly due to "the nature of women needing these treatments" and not the hormone drug therapies themselves.
Dr. David Adamson, chair of the International Committee Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART) and president of World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF), noted the limitations of the findings: they do not establish cause and effect, most infertile women do not undergo ART, and the study does not address infertility and endometriosis risk in infertile females who have not experienced ART.
Create Fertility medical director Prof. Geeta Nargund dubbed said that "this is a very important study," citing a lack of health safeguards for women in the UK undergoing IVF. Nargund, though, said that until the causative factors are clear, experts should support cancer screening and giving women "robust information" to make smart decisions.
Routine cancer screening for IVF patients is suggested by British Fertility Society chair Adam Balen, who wanted to "call for a policy" on the matter.
Ovarian cancer is marked by symptoms that include persistent stomach pain, bloating or increased stomach size, difficulty eating, and more frequent urination. One should visit her healthcare provider if these symptoms began in the last 12 months, are unusual, and occur regularly.
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