title: Fertility drugs and breast cancer risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Female infertility is a widespread problem in Western countries. During past years, an association between ovarian stimulation in unfertile women and breast cancer risk has been hypothesized.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Purpose of the present investigation was to comment the most updated studies about an eventual relationship between fertility drugs and breast cancer risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors performed a review of the current literature regarding the possible association between the use of fertility drugs and the enhanced risk of breast cancer. They searched digital databases including Pubmed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. The literature search was performed using various combinations of keywords. They carefully analyzed only the full versions of all relevant studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using various combination of keywords, the authors examined 930 papers. They considered only papers written in English. With these criteria they selected the studies that had been discussed in detail on the text.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  None of the works commented provides an indisputable evidence about a link between ovarian stimulation and breast cancer risk. On the contrary, most of them actually suggest a lack of interaction between them or even a protective role of ovarian stimulation.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lo Russo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomao
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Spinelli
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Prete
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stati
authors.forename: P Benedetti
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Panici
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomao
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005299:Fertility Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000009:adverse effects; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: D005299:Fertility Agents