Infertility, Ovulation Induction, and Cancers Risk in Women: Review Article

Background & Objective: Using fertility treatment has increased markedly in recent decades. However, various concerns associated with the use of fertility drugs, such as increased risk of cancer, has developed. The objective of the present study is to overview studies in the field of infertility, ovulation induction, and its impact on cancer risks in women. Material & Methods: This study is a review of all articles published during the years 1995 and 2014 through databases SID, magiran, Medlib, pubmed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. Comprehensive search was done with the keywords of infertility, ovulation induction, the risk of cancer, gynecological cancer, clomiphene citrate, human chorionic gonadotropin, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer for Persian articles and their English equivalents for English articles. After reviewing, a total of 79 articles were included in the study. Results: Various studies revealed the possibility of an increased risk of uterine, ovarian, and breast cancer and hormonal changes associated with ovulation stimulation. But these results are not conclusive because of small sample size, short follow-up periods, and vague information about the type and the way drug is consumed. Conclusion: Mainly women's cancer are associated with hormonal issues. Controversy over research results requisite further evaluation in order to investigate the impact of ovulation-inducing drugs on cancer risk which needs a well designed study.