Fertility Treatment and Cancer Risk

Key Evidence on Fertility Treatment and Cancer Risk

The American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines consistently state that there is no detectable increased risk of disease recurrence associated with most fertility preservation methods and pregnancy, including in hormonally sensitive cancers 3, 4, 5
Data are limited, but there appears to be no increased risk of cancer recurrence from fertility preservation methods or pregnancy, even in hormonally sensitive tumors 1, 2
Studies do not indicate increased cancer recurrence risk as a result of aromatase inhibitor-supplemented ovarian stimulation and subsequent pregnancy 6

For breast cancer survivors specifically, pregnancy is considered safe and the hormonal environment associated with pregnancy is not thought to increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence 7
Prior breast cancer treatment does not increase the future risk of congenital malformations in offspring 7
Available studies, including large registry studies, have revealed no increased risk of genetic abnormalities, birth defects, or cancers in the children of cancer survivors, aside from hereditary syndromes 3, 8

The risk of cancer from fertility treatments themselves appears negligible based on current evidence, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology 1, 2, 3
Any theoretical concerns about hormonal stimulation in estrogen-sensitive cancers can be mitigated by using aromatase inhibitor-based stimulation protocols, as recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology 6
The benefits of fertility preservation for quality of life and psychosocial well-being typically outweigh any theoretical cancer risks, as stated by the American Society of Clinical Oncology 4, 5