IVF and Ovarian Cancer Risk Explained

As Stephanie mentioned in a blog post last week, a recent study has been making some infertility patients nervous lately. The study “Risk of borderline and invasive ovarian tumors after ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization in a large Dutch cohort” looked at ovarian stimulation, IVF, and ovarian cancer risk. The researchers found that some women that had undergone IVF with ovarian stimulation were more likely to develop borderline ovarian tumors (tumors of low malignant potential) than women who had not used IVF. Important distinction: While borderline ovarian tumors can be a concern, they do not always become cancerous.

However, some news outlets took the story and ran with it, writing headlines that led readers to believe that the IVF process might be increasing ovarian cancer risk for some women. We asked one of our Attain Fertility doctors, Dr. Eve Feinberg at the Fertility Centers of Illinois, to share her thoughts on this study and what it means for those going through IVF.

Dr. Feinberg states, “The single greatest risk factor for ovarian cancer is nulliparity, or never having a child. The risk of ovarian cancer is reduced dramatically in women who have had a full term pregnancy.” In other words, whether or not a woman has gone through IVF, a full term pregnancy reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. Dr. Feinberg continues, “A critical flaw of this study is in what it fails to address – how do you separate out the risk of nulliparity from the risk of IVF? Some women who undergo IVF, sadly, never become pregnant. The study does not have an adequate control group: infertile women who never became pregnant and who never underwent IVF. It is only in comparing these two groups that one can accurately assess the increased risk that IVF may pose. Until a properly designed trial with an adequate control group is published, the increased risk cannot be verified.” So this means that women who try IVF and do not get pregnant may have a different ovarian cancer risk than women who try IVF and do give birth. Until a study compares these two groups of women, it will be unclear as to how, or if, IVF affects women’s ovarian cancer risk.

It can be scary to see headlines that claim that “IVF Can Double Your Cancer Risk.” If you are pursuing infertility treatment, and see frightening headlines like this, be sure to ask your doctor for details.

Dr. Eve Feinberg is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, and completed a three-year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health. During residency and fellowship, Dr. Feinberg was given numerous awards for clinical research and she has published over a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. Additionally, Dr. Feinberg serves as a reviewer for Fertility and Sterility, one of the most widely read journals by Reproductive Endocrinologists. Dr. Feinberg has been recognized by her peers and patients as being an exceptionally compassionate physician and she takes great pride in providing outstanding, personalized care to each individual and couple. To make an appointment with Dr. Feinberg at the Fertility Centers of Illinois, please call 1-312-253-4585.