Abstract
The aetiology of ovarian cancer is multifactorial with both endogenous and exogenous risk factors playing an important role. The exact pathogenesis of ovarian cancer is still not well understood, despite the number of hypotheses published. Due to an increase in the number of women using fertility drugs, much attention has been focused on the long-term health effects of such drugs. Although fertility drugs facilitate the ovulation process, it is however associated with a significant increase in hormone concentrations, placing exposed women at increased risk of gynaecological cancer. Many clinical and epidemiological studies have examined the association between fertility drugs and ovarian cancer risk. Results from these studies have been contradictory, as some studies have reported an increased risk of ovarian cancer while others reported no increased risk. Nevertheless, recent studies have shown that women who used fertility drugs and did not conceive had a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, compared to women who used fertility drugs and conceived and delivered successfully. This review discusses the effect of fertility drugs on the risk of developing ovarian cancer, providing details on four possible scenarios associated with fertility treatment. In addition, the limitations of previous studies and their impact on our understanding of the association between fertility drugs and ovarian cancer have also been highlighted.
Keywords: Ovulation, nulliparity, inflammation, oxidative stress, ovarian cancer, fertility drugs.
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title:Fertility Drugs and Ovarian Cancer
Volume: 18 Issue: 6
Author(s): Aus Tariq Ali*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology, Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch Medical School, Cape-Town,south africa
Keywords: Ovulation, nulliparity, inflammation, oxidative stress, ovarian cancer, fertility drugs.
Abstract: The aetiology of ovarian cancer is multifactorial with both endogenous and exogenous risk factors playing an important role. The exact pathogenesis of ovarian cancer is still not well understood, despite the number of hypotheses published. Due to an increase in the number of women using fertility drugs, much attention has been focused on the long-term health effects of such drugs. Although fertility drugs facilitate the ovulation process, it is however associated with a significant increase in hormone concentrations, placing exposed women at increased risk of gynaecological cancer. Many clinical and epidemiological studies have examined the association between fertility drugs and ovarian cancer risk. Results from these studies have been contradictory, as some studies have reported an increased risk of ovarian cancer while others reported no increased risk. Nevertheless, recent studies have shown that women who used fertility drugs and did not conceive had a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, compared to women who used fertility drugs and conceived and delivered successfully. This review discusses the effect of fertility drugs on the risk of developing ovarian cancer, providing details on four possible scenarios associated with fertility treatment. In addition, the limitations of previous studies and their impact on our understanding of the association between fertility drugs and ovarian cancer have also been highlighted.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Ali Tariq Aus *, Fertility Drugs and Ovarian Cancer, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2018; 18 (6) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568009617666170620102049
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568009617666170620102049 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Target Drug Resistant Tumors
With the development of disciplines such as chemical biology and molecular biology, the genes or proteins closely related to tumor occurrence and development have gradually become clear. Targeted therapies targeting these genes or proteins provide more effective methods for tumor treatment. Tumor targeted drugs generally only act on specific targets ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Anesthetic and Adjunctive Drugs for Fast-Track Surgery
Current Drug Targets Challenges in Diagnosis of Reproductive Dysfunction
Current Women`s Health Reviews Aflibercept: A Novel VEGF Targeted Agent to Explore the Future Perspectives of Anti-Angiogenic Therapy for the Treatment of Multiple Tumors
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Glycosylation of Tetraspanin Tspan-1 at Four Distinct Sites Promotes Its Transition Through the Endoplasmic Reticulum
Protein & Peptide Letters Nanoparticles, Promising Carriers in Drug Targeting: A Review
Current Drug Therapy HPV Pathway Profiling: HPV Related Cervical Dysplasia and Carcinoma Studies
Current Pharmaceutical Design Roles of Natural Compounds from Medicinal Plants in Cancer Treatment: Structure and Mode of Action at Molecular Level
Medicinal Chemistry Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia, an Ancient Disease: New Light and Potential Therapeutic Targets
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Endometriosis Management: Workflow on Genomics and Proteomics and Future Biomolecular Pharmacotherapy
Current Medicinal Chemistry Editorial [Hot Topic: Beyond Gynaecological Cancers: Psychological Challenges (Guest Editor: Vania Goncalves)]
Current Women`s Health Reviews Aromatase Inhibitors: A New Reality for the Adjuvant Endocrine Treatment of Early-Stage Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Lysophospholipids: Synthesis and Biological Aspects
Current Organic Chemistry Counselling and Cognitive Behaviour Interventions Delivered to Reduce Psychological Morbidity and Improve Quality of Life in Gynaecological Cancer Patients: Recent Achievements
Current Women`s Health Reviews GnRH-Agonist Triggering to Avoid Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome: A Review of the Evidence
Current Drug Targets Berberine Exhibits Antitumor Effects in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Probiotics in Female Reproductive Health: Paradigms, Prospects and Challenges
Current Women`s Health Reviews Recent Patents on Antibacterial, Antifungal and Antiviral Properties of Tea
Recent Patents on Anti-Infective Drug Discovery Dequalinium-Derived Nanoconstructs: A Promising Vehicle for Mitochondrial Targeting
Current Drug Delivery A Novel Method for the Analysis of Soluble Carbohydrates from Cistanche deserticola
Current Analytical Chemistry A Homodimer Model Can Resolve the Conundrum as to How Cytochrome P450 Oxidoreductase and Cytochrome b5 Compete for the Same Binding Site on Cytochrome P450c17
Current Protein & Peptide Science