Fertility Treatments May Affect Breast Cancer Risk

A new study suggests that certain fertility drugs may affect a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer later on in her life.

Research from the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that the chance of developing breast cancer before the age of 50 rose for women who became pregnant for at least 10 weeks after taking fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation, compared to women who were not successful with the medication, writes HealthDay.

The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, also found that women who did not become pregnant for at least 10 weeks after taking the same fertility medication had a lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who did not take the drugs.

In the study, researchers wrote, “Our data suggests that exposure to a stimulated pregnancy is enough to undo the reduction in break cancer risk associated with a history of exposure to ovulation-stimulating drugs.”

The authors also noted that the study did have its limitations because it relied on the self-reported fertility drug usage and did not have enough data on each woman’s diagnosis for fertility, according to HealthDay.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by an unsafe medical treatment, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if you have grounds to pursue legal action.

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