Fertility treatments and risk of getting cancer

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Elijah
Elijah Member Posts: 7
edited June 2016 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

Hello everyone,

I have a friend who is having difficulties to have a baby due to an ovarian disease. She has tried 2 times already going to a private clinic and doing IVF treatment. These treatment consists on getting a big amount on hormones jabs.

Because the 2 second treatment was not successful either, she is considering on trying and going through the whole hormone treatment again for the 3rd time.

One on the question I was asked when I was diagnosed my breast cancer was if I ever had a hormone treatment.

Now I am worried if getting such a big amount of hormones will increase dangerously my friends risk on getting breast or other type of cancer.

Also I know that her mum and aunt had breast cancer in the past too.

Does anybody in the forum have more information about this? Any reference to studies talking about this?

Thank you so much.

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  • dtad
    dtad Member Posts: 2,323
    edited June 2016

    I too worry about my daughter in this regard. She had 2 IVF's and a miscarriage. Fortunately the second gave us my beautiful 2 year old twin grandsons. However she was exposed to so many hormones and now I was diagnosed. The docs are unconcerned and tell her she doesn't need a baseline mammo until 40. I disagree! There is no scientific evidence to support the connection but I happen to know 3 women who got bc after infertility treatments. I'm pushing for my daughter to have her baseline at 35. Good luck.....

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  • Srh242
    Srh242 Member Posts: 328
    edited June 2016

    there is a podcast in this website about 2 years ago and no correlation.

    I think Ivf might accelerate a something that's going to happen anyways

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited June 2016

    I got breast cancer 18 months after fertility treatments...

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  • Reckless
    Reckless Member Posts: 112
    edited June 2016

    This is not a direct answer to your question, but could be of interest. A recent study re safety of IVF in women with BC.

    http://press.endocrine.org/doi/10.1210/jc.2015-387...

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  • MelissaDallas
    MelissaDallas Member Posts: 7,268
    edited June 2016

    Most of what I have read says it is not a risk, or is very minimal:

    http://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/2013/06/fertil...


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  • Hopefloatsinyyc
    Hopefloatsinyyc Member Posts: 211
    edited June 2016

    I did IVF and my oncology team felt Clomid (which is often used for several cycles by woman trying to conceive or before IVF) played a much more likely role in increasing my risk factors than the drugs used in the actual IVF process. Even if it did increase my chances slightly, I wouldn't change my choice to go through IVF and having my amazing kids for anything.


    As a woman who went through IVF, I can tell you it is an emotional and difficult journey and hearing a loved one voice any sort of concern regarding using this medical assistance to bring a child into life would have been unbareable to hear- even if coming from a place of love... So I would try not to transfer your worries to your loved ones... Just be supportive through whatever she is going through and the choices she is making.

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  • Ddw79
    Ddw79 Member Posts: 533
    edited June 2016

    And the one friend who I know that went through many cycles of IVF 25 years ago is fine .... Except for melanoma in the eye. That's bad but she is doing well and no women's cancers at all.

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