Z01 CP010128-01082 (Z01) | |||
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Title | Infertility follow-up study: 1965-88 | ||
Institution | NCI, Bethesda, MD | ||
Principal Investigator | Brinton, Louise | NCI Program Director | N/A |
Cancer Activity | N/A | Division | DCEG |
Funded Amount | $36,214 | Project Dates | 10/01/1994 - N/A |
Fiscal Year | 2008 | Project Type | Intramural |
Research Topics w/ Percent Relevance | Cancer Types w/ Percent Relevance | ||
Behavioral and Social Science (100.0%) Biochemical Epidemiology (45.0%) Cancer (100.0%) |
Breast Cancer (15.0%) Cervical Cancer (10.0%) Colon/Rectum (20.0%) Melanoma (10.0%) Ovarian Cancer (30.0%) Skin (10.0%) Uterine (15.0%) |
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Research Type | |||
Exogenous Factors in the Origin and Cause of Cancer Endogenous Factors in the Origin and Cause of Cancer |
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Abstract | |||
To assess the relations of infertility causes and treatment to cancer risk, we have conducted a retrospective study of approximately 12,000 women evaluated for infertility between 1965-1988. These women have been ascertained from five large infertility clinics and private practices in diverse locations in the United States: Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New York, and Palo Alto. These practices were selected on the basis of their having large number of patients who received ovulation stimulating drugs many years in the distant past. Abstractors reviewed clinic medical records to identify eligible study participants and to abstract data needed to classify causes of infertility and document therapies employed. Using a variety of tracing sources (including the National Death Index, credit bureaus, and postmasters), the vital status and location of subjects were determined. Subjects who were traced and identified as alive were sent a detailed questionnaire that requested information on their health status as well as on a number of lifestyle practices. For subjects who reported a cancer, medical verification was sought from the diagnosing physicians and/or facilities. Death certificates were sought for deceased subjects. A number of analyses have been undertaken and several papers recently published. In general, use of ovulation-stimulating agents is not related to risk of ovarian or breast cancers, although results could not entirely rule out slight increases after extended follow-up. Specific causes of infertility were generally less predictive of subsequent cancer risk than type of infertility (primary vs. secondary), although patients with endometriosis showed significant excess risks of ovarian cancer. Analyses are currently underway to assess the relationship of anovulatory disorders to cancer risk. |