IVF ist nicht mit höheren Gesamtkrebsraten verbunden, aber Studie zeigt Unterschiede bei einigen Krebsarten

Arvo r/science – sharing new research co-led by Dr Adrian Walker from our Centre for Big Data Research in Health: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2846151

The study analysed national health and cancer records from more than 417,000 Australian women who underwent medically assisted reproduction between 1991 and 2018. It found that women who used fertility treatments, including IVF, intrauterine insemination and treatment with the fertility drug clomiphene, had no higher overall risk. However, some specific cancers were slightly more common, whereas others were less common; the study’s findings should be interpreted with caution, given the many factors that influence cancer risk.

Uterine and ovarian cancer were slightly more common, as was melanoma. A non-invasive form of breast cancer was also more common in women who had IVF, but invasive breast cancer was not increased. At the same time, some cancers were less common.

The study focused on comparing rates of cancer in different populations, not whether fertility treatments themselves cause cancer.

Did they control for the SES factors when calculating the SIRs? The table 1 shows there are big differences in type of reproductive assistance by SES. I’ve done some research that indicates that melanoma and uterine cancer are more common among richer women, while lung and cervical cancer are less common. Could the underlying SES risk profile be driving those differences?