The Association between Fertility Medication and an Increase Risk of Cancer

The Association between Fertility Medication and an Increase Risk of Cancer

Literature Review

Infertility is discerned as an issue across all the societies and cultures and affects an expected 10 percent to 15 percent of couples of the conceptive age. In current times, the couples looking for the treatment of Infertility has increased dramatically because of the factors, for example deferment of childbearing in females, improvement of more up to date and more immense systems for fertility medication, and awareness of accessible services. This growing participation in infertility medication or treatment has increased awareness and roused inspection into the physical as well as the psychological repercussions of infertility (ktem & Oktay, 2009).

Researchers have considered this issue in order to analyze the relation between infertility and psychological ramifications along with the evaluation of the general belief that the use of these medications leads to the increased risks of the development of cancer. Experts have likewise investigated the various biological effects of infertility and an exposure to the intrusive infertility medicines on disposition as well as well being. There is less data about successful fertility medications for this populace; however, there is a range of information to support the utilization of these mediations (Ayhan, Celik, Taskiran, Bozdag & Aksu, 2003).

Cancer is among the leading causes of death in all age groups for both sexes. It is the second leading cause of death among females and is responsible for 22.1% of mortality. Breast, lung and colorectal cancers are the three most common malignancies in women. Cancers of the reproductive organs are among the most frequently diagnosed malignant diseases. Multiple factors influence the etiology of cancer (genetic, infectious, environmental, life style, hormonal, and so on). Certain types of cancers are more common among women (e.g., thyroid), which suggests a role for hormonal effects. Reproductive factors that are also closely associated with alterations in the hormonal balance are also well known to be associated with certain malignancies (Hannibal, Jensen, Sharif & Kjaer, 2008).. The use of hormone products to manage infertility of different etiologies have been available for approximately 50 years. The peak incidence for cancers of the reproductive organs is the fifth to sixth decade of life and therefore most patients who were exposed to these medications have recently entered menopause, or will do so in the near future. Due to the recent trend of delaying childbearing, the number of couples seeking infertility care is continuously on the rise. This has led to increased utilization of infertility services. It is therefore very important to study any potential association between these medications and cancer (Jensen, Sharif, Kjaer, 2009).

This review will summarize the findings of large, relevant case-control and cohort studies and reviews that explored the link between infertility, fertility medication use and the subsequent risks of developing cancer. Studies that were published between 1976 and 2012 were considered for the review. They were identified through searching PubMed and by checking the reference lists of the individual articles. Studies with relatively large sample size, long follow-up times, a clear description of how the cancer cases ...