Patient:
Dr. Gulati, I’m really worried about IVF and the risk of developing cancer. I’ve heard that the hormones used could increase the chances of ovarian or breast cancer. Is that true?
Dr. Gulati:
I completely understand why you’re concerned, and I’m glad you brought it up. The idea that IVF hormones cause cancer is a common fear, but there’s no scientific evidence to support that.
Patient:
But why do so many people believe there’s a link?
Dr. Gulati:
It mostly comes from the fact that hormones are used during the IVF process. We use hormones to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual, and this hormonal stimulation can make some people nervous, especially when they hear about cancer diagnoses that happened after IVF.
Patient:
So, is there any real risk?
Dr. Gulati:
Not really. The hormones we use in IVF are similar to the ones your body naturally produces. Their job is to help the ovaries make more eggs. The hormones, like follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), either naturally occur in the body or are very close copies of them. They trigger a process that already happens every month, just on a smaller scale.
Patient:
But since these hormones are administered, isn’t there still some risk?
Dr. Gulati:
These hormones are only used for a short time during the IVF cycle. After that, your hormone levels return to normal, and most of these hormones leave your body through urine. They don’t cause long-term changes. Unlike other hormone therapies, IVF uses hormones for a limited time, and they mimic what your body already does naturally.
Patient:
That’s comforting, but has there been any research on this?
Dr. Gulati:
Definitely. Large studies, involving tens of thousands of women, have looked at whether IVF increases the risk of ovarian, breast, or uterine cancer. They found no significant rise in cancer rates among women who’ve done IVF compared to those who haven’t. The research is clear: there’s no link between IVF and cancer.
Patient:
But what about all those stories of people getting cancer after IVF?
Dr. Gulati:
Anecdotal stories can be scary, but they don’t replace scientific evidence. It’s important to remember that cancer can happen for many reasons, like genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors, and these aren’t linked to IVF.
Patient:
So, the general consensus is that IVF is safe?
Dr. Gulati:
Yes, all the evidence we have shows no connection between IVF and cancer. If there was a significant risk, we’d see a noticeable rise in cancer cases among the millions of women who’ve had IVF, and we don’t.
Patient:
That’s really reassuring. So, I don’t need to worry about this?
Dr. Gulati:
Exactly. Stick with the facts and scientific research. The lack of evidence linking IVF hormones to cancer, along with the studies showing no increased risk, should give you peace of mind.
Patient:
Thank you, Dr. Gulati. I feel much better about it now.
Dr. Pooja Patel is a surrogate coordinator at Surrogacy4all. She has 10 years of experience in Anesthesiology and critical care medicine.
She received her medical degree from Seth GS Medical College and K.E.M Hospital in India. She then completed an internship. She finished her Anesthesia residency at Grant Govt Medical College and JJ Group of Hospitals in India.
Egg donation is a process where a woman (the egg donor) provides one or several eggs (also known as oocytes) for purposes of assisted reproduction, with the eggs being fertilized in the laboratory. Once fertilized, the resulting embryos are transferred to the recipient’s uterus to initiate a pregnancy, or they can be cryopreserved (frozen) for future use.