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The greater age-adjusted risk for colorectal cancer in men than in women is often attributed to estrogen's protective effect in premenopausal women. In addition, postmenopausal hormone use has been associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk. This effect of reproductive hormones has raised the question of whether ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) can affect colorectal cancer risk.
In a nationwide Dutch cohort study involving 19,158 women who received ovarian stimulation for IVF and 5950 women who received other fertility treatments (e.g., tubal surgery), risk for colorectal cancer in the IVF group was the same as that in the general population (standardized incidence ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.80–1.23). How…