Do fertility treatments increase the risk of cancer in children?

The use of frozen embryo transfer is associated with a small but significantly increased risk of childhood cancer. No significant associations occurred between an increased risk of cancer and any other types of fertility treatments, including specific technologies and medications. (LOE = 2b)

Hargreave M, Jensen A, Hansen MK, et al. Association between fertility treatment and cancer risk in children. JAMA 2019;322(22):2203-2210.  [PMID:31821431]

Cohort (retrospective)

Foundation

Population-based

Current evidence remains unclear about whether children born after the use of specific fertility drugs and assisted reproductive technology are at an increased risk of cancer. These investigators linked data from a comprehensive national birth registry of all children born alive in Denmark between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2012, to a national infertility registry, prescription registry, and cancer registry. Overall, the risk of any type of childhood cancer was not significantly associated with maternal infertility, the use of any type of fertility treatment, or the use of any type of fertility drug. However, compared with children born to fertile women, cancer risk was significantly increased among children born after the use of frozen embryo transfer (hazard ratio 2.43; incidence rate difference 26.9 [95% CI 2.8 - 51.0] per 100,000 person-years). Specifically, children born after the use of frozen embryo transfer had a significantly increased risk of leukemia and sympathetic nervous system tumors.