Since the 1990s, researchers have published conflicting results about the connection between cancer risk and fertility drugs. As a result, there has been a lingering concern among women that using fertility drugs may increase their risk for later developing hormone receptor positive cancers. Hormone receptor positive tumors consist of cells that express receptors for certain hormones such as estrogen or progesterone, but are most commonly known as estrogen receptor tumors. These types of tumors depend on the presence of estrogen in order to grow and spread throughout the body, making the risk for gynecologic cancers cause for concern in some women undergoing IVF treatment.

Fertility drugs have come under scrutiny because they stimulate hyper-ovulation, meaning they cause a woman’s body to produce more eggs. They have been linked to certain gynecologic cancers, such as breast and ovarian cancer. One reason research published in the 1990s may have suggested a link between fertility drugs and cancer risk, is due to the drugs that were being prescribed 20 years ago. Researchers have also blamed the mixed nature of the findings on the studies’ relatively short length, or on including women who have not given birth as they are known to have an increased risk of some cancers.

New research, however, suggests that using fertility drugs does not have an impact on your risk for developing ovarian cancer down the line. Lead author of the study and clinical fellow in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Dr. Albert Asante and his colleagues gathered medical information on 1900 women from an ongoing ovarian cancer study at the Mayo Clinic. The researchers compared 1,028 women with ovarian cancer to 872 women of similar age who did not have cancer. As reported in Fertility and Sterility, approximately 24 percent of the women who did not have ovarian cancer reported having used fertility drugs, while roughly 17 percent of women who had ovarian cancer had used fertility drugs.

The researchers took into account factors that can influence the risk for ovarian cancer, such as age and use of the birth control pill, and found no difference in cancer rates between the groups. Dr. Asante looked specifically at whether women in the study who reported being infertile- whether or not they had taken fertility drugs – had a greater chance of developing ovarian cancer, and found no added risk. He said one explanation for the result is that most of the women in his study had infertility issues, but eventually became pregnant. According to Dr. Albert Asante, “One important message [from this study] is women who need to use fertility drugs to get pregnant should not worry about using these fertility drugs.”

To read more about this new study, click HERE for the full text. To learn more about your reproductive options when faced with a cancer diagnosis, please visit www.SaveMyFertility.org.

As part of our guest blog series, the Oncofertility Consortium would like to introduce our readers to Shannon Routh, and her organization for young survivors of ovarian and gynecologic cancers, Teal Diva, founded in 2009. Below is a post she wrote about her experience with cancer, fertility and finding the “new normal” in her life.

By Shannon Routh

Remember the MASH (Mansion-Apartment-Shack-House) game you used to play when you were a little girl, to predict what your life would be like when you grew up? The game where you choose your husband, how many kids you will have, where you will live, etc.  It’s funny how the words cancer, infertility or hysterectomy were never a part of my outcome.   My story ends a little differently than I had hoped…dreamed.

My husband and I were married just shy of 3 years when we got the news…you have ovarian cancer.  A few months prior to being diagnosed, I had abdominal pain.  I went to my gynecologist.  After reviewing my ultrasound, she noticed a cyst the size of a grapefruit on my ovary.  She referred me to a Gynecologic Oncologist.  As he prepped us for surgery, he told us we had 3 scenarios: 1-remove the cyst, 2- cancer, removal of cyst and ovary, and 3-cancer, hysterectomy, etc, etc, etc.  After surgery, I woke up asking if he did a hysterectomy and I was told he did not.  Oh my goodness…I was so relieved, so thankful.  The day I was released from the hospital is the day I learned I had stage IIa Clear Cell Carcanoma. I was 32.  And because of my age and cancer type, he wanted to be certain prior to taking both ovaries.  Wait…does that mean?…yep.  A 2^nd surgery was scheduled.  We went home…devastated.  In an effort to remain positive, I thought we could harvest eggs and pursue other options.  We went in for a consultation a few days before the radical hysterectomy and asked hopeful questions about our options, but we were told my cancer type feeds off of hormones. Unfortunately, you will not be able to bare children.  So not only do I have cancer, I can’t have kids.  WOW…talk about depressing.  But I didn’t have time to feel sorry for myself because I had to prepare for the hardest fight of my life.

My world was turned upside down by having cancer and learning I would never bare children, but I have found a new normal…one I didn’t plan for.  Throughout my journey, I needed desperately to connect with someone. So, one night I started writing and before I knew it, Teal Diva was born.   The mission of Teal Diva is to celebrate life!  As survivors of ovarian and other gynecological cancers, we understand the reason to celebrate every sunrise.  We are bound by our experiences and challenges and form a sorority which we never intended to join.  The primary beneficiary of our fundraising efforts are research programs seeking reliable screening tests for gynecologic cancers.

*To learn more about Teal Diva and other community resources for cancer survivors, please visit our Patients webpage.

Every month there is some sort of health observance serving as a reminder to people that care should be taken with our bodies, our health and our well-being. We’ve only got one shot at this so we better make the most of it, right?!  This month, February, is National Cancer Prevention Month.  Nearly 1/3 of all cancers are preventable so as you can imagine, there’s a lot you can do to protect yourself simply by making a few lifestyle changes. Here are a few things you can do to reduce your risk for cancer:

Get screened regularly and know your health history: Regular screenings play a big role in cancer detection and prevention and knowing your family’s health history is important for lowering your risk for certain cancers.  For example, if your family has a history of breast and/or ovarian cancer, make sure that you are going in for regular visits with your gynecologist and ask about genetic testing to determine your risks. Share you history with him/her so that they can have a better understanding of your individual healthcare needs.

Eat Right and Exercise: Enough information is out there about this that it almost seems redundant to even mention it, but still I must. Eat your broccoli. Talk a brisk walk 3-4 times a week. Pick up a 5-pound weight or do some yoga. Not only will you be lowering your risk for cancer, but you’ll also be reducing your risk for a plethora of other diseases and health problems.

Don’t Smoke and Drink in Moderation: Smoking accounts for 30% of all cancer deaths so why light up? Your lungs are doing a good job for you so why not return the favor? Enough said. As for alcohol, we’ve all heard about the benefits of a glass of red wine, but that’s the occasional glass, not the whole bottle at every sitting. The antioxidant found in red wine that’s believed to provide health benefits, Resveratrol (a compound found largely in the skin of red grapes), can just as easily be found in grape juice so use good judgment and your body will thank you for it.

Limit Your Exposure to the Sun and Always Wear Sunscreen:  Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the US. Not only does too much sun exposure significantly increase your risk for skin cancer, but that tan will eventually fade and leave you with sunspots and leathery skin. Not cute. So slap on some sunscreen and take care of the largest organ in your body – your skin!

I’ve only just touched upon some things you can do to reduce your risk for cancer so do a little research and talk to your doctor for a more comprehensive list. As any cancer survivor will tell you, it’s not a journey you want to go on willingly, so do what you can, when you can to live your best life.

Earlier this year, I blogged about a young woman and volunteer with Bright Pink, Kristin Nelson, who had preventative ovarian removal after she tested positive for BRCA1. BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are a class of genes otherwise known as tumor suppressors, and a mutation of these genes has been linked to a significantly increased risk for the development of breast and ovarian cancer at an early age. Kristin had enough of a family history of breast and ovarian cancer to want to take measures to protect herself, should she develop cancer as well. Knowing this would impact her fertility, she decided to bank eggs and embryos prior to her oophorectomy.

Luckily, Kristin knew enough about her fertility risks with BRCA1 to pursue fertility preservation prior to her surgery, but not everyone has the same experience. In an attempt to raise awareness and education about fertility preservation in high-risk young women, Bright Pink has partnered up with the Oncofertility Consortium to present, Fertility Preservation for High-Risk Young Women National Teleconference on November 15^th at 8:00EST. The teleconference seeks to help high-risk young women understand the basics of fertility concerns, their options for fertility perseveration and parenthood, and provide valuable resources that are available. Leading the information session will be Oncofertility Consortium Director, Teresa K Woodruff, along with Kristin Nelson and Melissa Synder from Bright Pink. To learn more about how you can participate in this teleconference or to register, please visit www.bebrightpink.org.

Are you a cancer survivor? Help oncofertility researchers study and prevent treatment-induced fertility loss by joining the FIRST online fertility registry for cancer survivors!

Here at the Oncofertility Consortium Blog, it’s important to us that our readers who may be diagnosed with cancer or know someone that is, have a wealth of resources to tap into for support. A cancer diagnosis often leads to questions and concerns throughout the trajectory of the disease. Having organizations and support services readily available can be invaluable to a cancer patient.

One such resource is a long-standing organization founded in the late 70s, called SHARE (Self-Help for Women with Breast or Ovarian Cancer). SHARE’s mission is to create and sustain a supportive network and community of women affected by breast or ovarian cancer. SHARE brings women with breast or ovarian cancer and their support network of family and friends, together with survivors to provide participants with the opportunity to receive and exchange information, support, strength and hope. SHARE’s work focuses on empowerment, education and advocacy to bring about better health care, an improved quality of life, and a cure for cancer.

SHARE supports, educates, and empowers people affected by breast or ovarian cancer. The organization helps people face their feelings and fears, communicate effectively with their doctors, and make informed decisions about their health. All of SHARE’s services are free of charge, confidential, and provided by survivors. SHARE’s services include telephone support, educational programs, support groups, and public-health initiatives.

SHARE is managed by survivors helping people affected by breast or ovarian cancer and its support services and educational programs are provided in both English and Spanish. The organization also hosts Pink and Teal Seminars in which people learn about the risks, treatments, and early detection of breast and ovarian cancers from the unique perspective of survivors.

For a list of SHARE’s educational programs, including the support group, Young Women and Breast Cancer: Creating a Family After Cancer Treatment,  please click here. To learn more SHARE and the services they provide, please visit www.sharecancersupport.org.