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Fertility Enhancing Drugs Named As Potential Agents Increasing Ovarian Cancer Risks

Fertility enhancing drugs do not cause ovarian cancer, yet the use has been named as a potential cause for an increased risk in a woman's likelihood of contracting the illness. In essence, these kinds of medications serve to assist follicular development in the ovaries and have been prominently linked to the births of multiples in extraordinary quantities, such as quintuplets or sextuplets.

Further studies have revealed that the stimulation of the ovaries may have secondary and much more dangerous effects although there is no conclusive evidence that would irrefutably link the use of fertility enhancing drugs to the onset of ovarian cancer. Agreeing to disagree, researchers have stipulated to the following findings:

* Fertility enhancing drugs alter the hormonal balance in a woman's bodily system to such an extent as to affect the ovaries.

* Hormonal imbalances have in the past been associated with the growth of tumors - both benign and malignant - and it stands to reason that since the ovaries are the primary target for the artificially created hormonal imbalance, they may also be the site where such tumors may be created.

* Conclusive results cannot be determined since the women suffering from ovarian cancer after the use of fertility enhancing medications could not be adequately classified as to other potential ovarian cancer risk factors.

* Although some study results do suggest that there is a definite link between ovarian cancer risk elevation and the use of fertility enhancing drugs, these findings could not be replicated and thus it is not possible to assert the direct link between the disease and the drugs.

This of course is of grave concern to women who are suffering from an inability to conceive yet considering that the risk of contracting ovarian cancer is relatively low, many are willing to take the potentially increased risk if it means that they will have a child of their own. Of course, those researching the potential causation of the disease are a lot more concerned about the possibility that hormonal imbalances - whether man-made or natural - may actually be playing a defining role in either increasing or decreasing the risk level of women for the contraction of ovarian cancer.

Granted, more study is indeed needed, yet it might be worthwhile to consider alternative options of fertility enhancement and only resort to fertility medication as a matter of last resort. Even if it were untrue that fertility enhancing drugs are named as potential agents increasing ovarian cancer risks, the fact that the possibility of unwanted multiple births is a very likely side effect does cause some pause to those who would look to drugs for help with conception. These individuals may consider dietary changes, complete physical work ups to ensure that there are no other problems associated with their reproductive organs, and of course potentially also opt for alternative medicine and treatments. Even though the success in these instances may be longer in coming, the health risks currently associated with the fertility drugs is not found in these treatment options.