Analysis of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes in infertile women with a history of thyroid cancer: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have revealed that women with infertility have a higher risk of thyroid cancer (TC) than fertile women. However, studies on whether a history of thyroid cancer affects clinical outcomes in women who conceive using in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) are scarce. We investigate whether a history of thyroid cancer (TC) affects the in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) outcomes and increases the risk of adverse obstetric outcomes in women with infertility. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 384 women with infertility who underwent their first IVF/ICSI treatment at the Peking University Third Hospital between 2010 and 2019. Participants were divided into the TC (64 women with TC history) and control (320 women matched from 85,272 women without thyroid diseases) groups. Controls were individually matched to the TC group according to age, body mass index, concomitant infertility factors, first IVF/ICSI dates, and controlled ovarian stimulation and embryo transfer procedure protocols. IVF/ICSI outcomes, including the numbers of retrieved oocytes and high-grade embryos, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, preterm delivery, and live birth rates, and adverse obstetric outcome risk were assessed. RESULTS: The TC group had significantly higher thyroid hormone and lower thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels than the control group. Despite similar gonadotropin treatment dosage, the TC group had a significantly lower numbers of retrieved oocytes and high-grade embryos than the control group. The occurrence rates of clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, preterm delivery, live births, and adverse obstetric outcomes, including multiple gestation, preterm delivery, gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, low birth weight, and large-for-gestational-age infants, were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: TC history did not affect the pregnancy outcomes or increase the risk of adverse obstetric outcomes after the first IVF/ICSI, but it may decrease the number of retrieved oocytes and high-grade embryos.