Use of fertility drugs and risk of ovarian cancer: Danish Population Based Cohort Study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of fertility drugs on overall risk of ovarian cancer using data from a large cohort of infertile women.


METHODS
Population based cohort study.


METHODS
Danish hospitals and private fertility clinics.


METHODS
54,362 women with infertility problems referred to all Danish fertility clinics during 1963-98. The median age at first evaluation of infertility was 30 years (range 16-55 years), and the median age at the end of follow-up was 47 (range 18-81) years. Included in the analysis were 156 women with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (cases) and 1241 subcohort members identified in the cohort during follow-up in 2006.


METHODS
Effect of four groups of fertility drugs (gonadotrophins, clomifene citrate, human chorionic gonadotrophin, and gonadotrophin releasing hormone) on overall risk of ovarian cancer after adjustment for potential confounding factors.


RESULTS
Analyses within cohort showed no overall increased risk of ovarian cancer after any use of gonadotrophins (rate ratio 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.50 to 1.37), clomifene (1.14, 0.79 to 1.64), human chorionic gonadotrophin (0.89, 0.62 to 1.29), or gonadotrophin releasing hormone (0.80, 0.42 to 1.51). Furthermore, no associations were found between all four groups of fertility drugs and number of cycles of use, length of follow-up, or parity.


CONCLUSIONS
No convincing association was found between use of fertility drugs and risk of ovarian cancer.
Jensen
Allan
A
Danish Cancer Society, Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Strandboulevarden 49, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark. allan@cancer.dk
Sharif
Heidi
H
Frederiksen
Kirsten
K
Kjaer
Susanne Krüger
SK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005299:Fertility Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D005299:Fertility Agents