IVF and breast cancer

luckybridetobe

My hubby and I are having difficulties TTC and will most likely be moving on to IVF.  I am concerned about the risks involved with IVF.  I have done some research and have not found been able to find many articles where it states that your chances of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer increae with IVF. We have family history of breast cancer and some other cancers.  What is your take on this? Have you done any research on this prior to doing IVF?

jertie

I didn't do any research - but during our initial work-up they require a clean, current mammogram and a normal pap because of the elevated cancer risk.  During our classes they mentioned that the high dose bursts of estrogen can increase your risk.  It's definitely something that I think about as I pop my pills in the morning and I've been doing self-checks a lot more regularly now.  GL - whatever you decide!

ronniesgirl1981

I actually didn't need a mammogram before IVF, but that might be related to our ages.  We had a pretty lengthy discussion about this with my PA and she was troubled by the matter in which the studies were carried out (I can't recall her reasoning).  She also said that the highest rates of female cancers are found in nuns.  The point that she was trying to make is that your risk would be even greater if you never experienced a pregnancy to term.  In this way, it's like one step back, but two steps forward (if you achieve a pregnancy). 

Mrs.McIrish

I have looked at this a lot as I am BRCA1+ (breast cancer gene). Everyone has told me that the hormones in a 9 mo pregnancy are higher than what you'd get in an IVF over a few weeks. But when does it get dangerous? I'm sure no one envisioned me doing 7 IVFs and still no baby. So, yes I worry a lot. I personally think that it will affect it down the line and that there just aren't long term studies for these things right now, especially if you are predisposed (gene hasn't been known for that long to know if IvF increases my risk even more) I would say that one or two IVFs probably doesn't do much long term. They claim that the drugs don't cause cancer but if something is already there, it will fuel it to grow faster/sooner than it would w/out the drugs (but that's only if its an estrogen positive type of cancer). They also say never having kids raises your risk so you're screwed either way, right??

My best advice is to be vigilant with your screening. Catching breast cancer early is your best weapon if you can't prevent it in the first place. OP- depending on your family history, you should consider getting screened for the gene. It's just a blod test and they will monitor you carefully if you are positive.

ronniesgirl1981

Bump burp!!

gldnbearz

****siggy warning****

My RE's office has their patients obtain a baseline mammogram if you are > 35 yo. The explanation was that the estrogen doses might feed an early stage tumor, not that the drugs necessarily cause breast cancer.

luckybridetobe

bump!!!  Looking for more info on this subject.

LizBlue

My RE acknowledges that there is a correlation with IVF meds and possible increase of certain cancers, but a.) it's not a big increase and b.) he said that it's hard to separate out (statistically speaking) if an increase of cancer is related to IVF meds or never having a baby.  Women who don't have a biological child are also at increased risks of those cancers.

bashert11

We never found it to be a concern. Actually when we were going over the paper work, and signing I read something about patients worrying about it, but that it was not a side effect. Both of us being nurses, (me and the RE nurse) kinda just laughed about it.....theses are all normal hormones that we are all suppose to be naturally producing in our body. Of course it's not going to give us any more of a chance if any to get cancer than the next fertile woman w/o IF treatments.