Thanks to fertility treatment, many couples who were previously unable to conceive may now experience parenthood. One type of fertility treatment is IVF, short for in-vitro fertilization. This process unites an egg and sperm (or several) in the laboratory (in vitro). Embryos are then transferred to the woman’s womb.

Fertility treatments, including IVF, often use fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation. If you are considering fertility treatment, it is important to know that these drugs increase the level of female hormones, such as estrogen, in a woman’s body, and some concerns have been raised that this, in turn, may increase the risk of breast cancer.

Fertility treatment is still a relatively new procedure. To date, a very small number of studies have looked at the longer-term effects of fertility treatment on breast cancer risk, and current research findings are inconclusive. Although more research is required to accurately assess the long-term risk, it is important to inform your decision based on what we know today.

To make an informed decision, we encourage you to speak to a health care provider about the benefits and limitations of fertility treatment. You may wish to discuss your medical history, your lifestyle, and the short- and longer-term benefits and risks of fertility treatment, as well as the alternatives.

Source:

Allan Jensen et al. (2007). Risk of Breast Cancer After Exposure to Fertility Drugs: Results for a large Danish cohort study. In Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention 16 (7). Accessed July 31, 2011.