Cancer and Other Morbidity among Women with Infertility Problems and their Children

More and more women are diagnosed with fertility problems and undergo fertility treatment in an attempt at conceiving. In 2014, 8% of all Danish Children were conceived after fertility treatment. In most cases of infertility treatment, hormone treatment is used, e.g. ovulation stimulating hormones, attempting to induce ovulation and through this, pregnancy.

It is known, though, that hormone treatment may increase the risk of cancer in women, and many epidemiological studies have shown a connection between hormone supplements at menopause (HRT), the use of birth control pills, and the risk of developing cancer. The link between hormonal fertility treatment and cancer is not as well elucidated, despite it being a subject with major influence on public health given the number of women who develop cancer and the continuously increasing number of women undergoing fertility treatments.

Based on the Danish Infertility Cohort we have for a number of years studied the connection between infertility, fertility treatment, and the risk of several types of hormone associated cancers, including ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, and malignant melanoma. Lately, we have also started using data from the Danish Infertility Cohort to examine connections between fertility treatment and other morbidity in the affected women, and the risk of cancer and other morbidity among children born by women with fertility problems.

Contacts:

Allan Jensen, allan@cancer.dk
Susanne Krüger Kjær, susanne@cancer.dk