Ovarian Cancer Patients and Fertility Drugs

A multicenter, retrospective study conducted in France found that fertility drugs can be taken safely by women who experience infertility after conservative management of early-stage ovarian tumors.

The study followed 30 women from 27 centers who had conservative surgery for borderline ovarian tumors to help preserve their fertility. To be included in the study, the subjects had either simple ovarian stimulation with clomiphene citrate or in vitro fertilization (IVF) with hyperstimulation.

Thirteen of the participants (43 percent) conceived, with one early pregnancy loss, one premature delivery at 20 weeks, and 11 normal pregnancies, including one set of twins and one set of triplets.

Although this study found that taking fertility drugs after undergoing conservative management of early-stage ovarian tumors is safe, “each patient should discuss her treatment options with her oncologist and infertility doctor before starting a regimen of fertility drugs,” advises Dr. David R. Corley, director of DVIF&G’s Early Pregnancy Loss Detection and Treatment Program.