Infertility in women linked to higher cancer risk

New York: Infertility is associated with a higher risk of developing cancer in women of childbearing age, say researchers including one of Indian-origin. The findings showed that infertile women had an overall 18 per cent higher risk of developing cancer compared to women who were not infertile.

However, the absolute risk is very low at just two per cent compared to 1.7 per cent among women who are not infertile, found researchers at Stanford University in the US. For the study, the team analysed data from 64,345 infertile women who were followed for nearly four years.

Although breast cancer was the most common in both fertile and infertile women, the team found a slightly higher risk of hormone-driven cancers of the ovary and uterus among the infertile women. They also found a slightly higher risk of cancers of the lung, thyroid, liver and gallbladder and leukaemia among the infertile women. (IANS)

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