History of Infertility and Risk of Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND

There has been limited prior research on the association between infertility and risk of colorectal cancer.

METHODS

Data from postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative were used to estimate the association between self-reported infertility (12 months of trying to get pregnant without achieving a pregnancy) and the risk of colorectal cancer using Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

No association was observed between infertility and risk of postmenopausal colorectal cancer [RR, 0.97; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87-1.08], invasive colorectal cancer (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.88-1.10), or colorectal cancer mortality (RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.71-1.12).

CONCLUSIONS

Infertility was not found to be associated with colorectal cancer risk among postmenopausal women. Risk did not vary by specific infertility diagnoses.

IMPACT: Infertility may not be associated with colorectal cancer risk.