Infertility, Fertility Drugs, and Ovarian Cancer

Many couples faced with infertility are treated with ovulation induction medications, often referred to as fertility drugs. These medications (such as clomiphene citrate) may help a patient to ovulate who previously was not ovulating or, when given empirically, may induce one or two more follicles to be produced each cycle than the customary one. The second class of fertility drugs (gonadotropins) are usually given as some form of an injection and will induce the timed release of multiple eggs in one cycle. These medications are commonly combined with intrauterine inseminations (IUI) or with in vitro fertilization. There has been some concern about the possible increased risk of ovarian cancer after treatment with medications that stimulate ovulation from the ovaries. Most well-designed studies show no increase in risk, while others have shown a slight increased risk in ovarian cancer after fertility treatment. This information packet will attempt to address these issues.