Skip Navigation


Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on June 24, 2004
Human Reproduction 2004 19(9):2005-2013; doi:10.1093/humrep/deh371
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
19/9/2005    most recent
deh371v1
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (22)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Brinton, L. A.
Right arrow Articles by Lamb, E. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Brinton, L. A.
Right arrow Articles by Lamb, E. J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction vol. 19 no. 9 © European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology 2004; all rights reserved

Breast cancer risk associated with ovulation-stimulating drugs

Louise A. Brinton1,7, Bert Scoccia2, Kamran S. Moghissi3, Carolyn L. Westhoff4, Michelle D. Althuis1, Jerome E. Mabie5 and Emmet J. Lamb6

1 Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 2 University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, 3 Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 4 Columbia University, New York, NY, 5 Information Management Services, Inc., Rockville, MD and 6 Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

7 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: 6120 Executive Boulevard, Room 7068, Bethesda, MD 20892-7234, USA. Email: brinton{at}nih.gov

BACKGROUND: Despite the recognized role of hormones in the aetiology of breast cancer, there has been little evaluation of hormonal preparations used to treat infertility. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 12 193 women evaluated for infertility between 1965 and 1988 at five clinical sites identified 292 in situ and invasive breast cancers in follow-up through 1999. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) compared breast cancer risks with those of the general population. Analyses within the cohort estimated rate ratios (RRs) associated with medications after adjustment for other breast cancer predictors. RESULTS: Infertile patients had a significantly higher breast cancer risk than the general population [SIR = 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–1.4]. Analyses within the cohort showed adjusted RRs of 1.02 for clomiphene citrate and 1.07 for gonadotrophins, and no substantial relationships to dosage or cycles of use. Slight and non-significant elevations in risk were seen for both drugs after ≥20 years of follow-up (RRs = 1.39 for clomiphene and 1.54 for gonadotrophins). However, the risk associated with clomiphene for invasive breast cancers was statistically significant (RR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.0–2.5). CONCLUSIONS: Although there was no overall increase in breast cancer risk associated with use of ovulation-stimulating drugs, long-term effects should continue to be monitored.

Key words: breast cancer/epidemiology/infertility/ovulation-stimulating medications/risk


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
R. Calderon-Margalit, Y. Friedlander, R. Yanetz, K. Kleinhaus, M. C. Perrin, O. Manor, S. Harlap, and O. Paltiel
Cancer Risk After Exposure to Treatments for Ovulation Induction
Am. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2009; 169(3): 365 - 375.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.Home page
B. L. Sprague, A. Trentham-Dietz, M. B. Terry, H. B. Nichols, A. J. Bersch, and D. S.M. Buist
Fertility Drug Use and Mammographic Breast Density in a Mammography Screening Cohort of Premenopausal Women
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2008; 17(11): 3128 - 3133.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
A. Jensen, H. Sharif, J. H. Olsen, and S. K. Kjaer
Risk of Breast Cancer and Gynecologic Cancers in a Large Population of Nearly 50,000 Infertile Danish Women
Am. J. Epidemiol., July 1, 2008; 168(1): 49 - 57.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann. Surg. Oncol.Home page
I. Pappo, L. Lerner-Geva, A. Halevy, L. Olmer, S. Friedler, A. Raziel, M. Schachter, and R. Ron-El
The Possible Association between IVF and Breast Cancer Incidence
Ann. Surg. Oncol., April 1, 2008; 15(4): 1048 - 1055.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.Home page
A. Jensen, H. Sharif, E. I. Svare, K. Frederiksen, and S. K. Kjaer
Risk of Breast Cancer After Exposure to Fertility Drugs: Results from a Large Danish Cohort Study
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., July 1, 2007; 16(7): 1400 - 1407.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Intern MedHome page
K. L. Terry, W. C. Willett, J. W. Rich-Edwards, and K. B. Michels
A Prospective Study of Infertility Due to Ovulatory Disorders, Ovulation Induction, and Incidence of Breast Cancer
Arch Intern Med, December 11, 2006; 166(22): 2484 - 2489.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
O. Reich and S. Regauer
Do drugs that stimulate ovulation increase the risk for endometrial stromal sarcoma?
Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2005; 20(4): 1112 - 1112.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
M. D. Althuis, K. S. Moghissi, C. L. Westhoff, B. Scoccia, E. J. Lamb, J. H. Lubin, and L. A. Brinton
Uterine Cancer after Use of Clomiphene Citrate to Induce Ovulation
Am. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2005; 161(7): 607 - 615.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
L. A. Brinton, B. Scoccia, K. S. Moghissi, C. L. Westhoff, M. D. Althuis, and E. J. Lamb
Reply: Do drugs that stimulate ovulation increase the risk for endometrial stromal sarcoma?
Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2005; 20(4): 1112 - 1113.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.