Higher rates of cancer in women following fertility treatment may not be due to the treatment

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-07-14 01:00

Australia; NSW; VIC; SA

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A study of over 1.7 million Australian women has found higher rates of hormone-related cancers in women after fertility treatment, although the researchers say the small increased risk may not be due to the treatment itself but to greater detection and underlying conditions, such as endometriosis. The study found that there were fewer than 20 extra cancers per 100,000 women each year in treated women. Some cancers had an increased risk in the first year after treatment, which the authors say suggests the cancers may just be being detected more readily in women undergoing treatment. Further analysis also suggested that underlying infertility conditions, such as endometriosis, Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (formerly known as polycystic ovarian syndrome), could account for the increased risk in uterine, ovarian, and thyroid cancers.