Does Growth Hormone Therapy Cause Cancer?

Growth hormone therapy for healthy children is one of the most searched topics in pediatric growth care.

A Question Parents Ask — And With Good Reason

A parent once sat across from me during a consultation, hesitated for a moment, and then asked:
“Doctor… I have to ask. Does growth hormone cause cancer?”

If you’re considering growth hormone therapy for a healthy but shorter-than-average child, this concern may already be on your mind — even if you haven’t voiced it yet.

As a parent, you want to help your child reach their full height potential.
But of course, you would never want to take a risk with something as serious as cancer.

That reaction isn’t anxiety.
It’s instinct.
And it’s good parenting.

So let’s talk clearly and honestly about what long-term research actually shows — where this concern comes from, what’s true, and what’s not.

I’m Dr. Choi, a board-certified physician with over 20 years of clinical experience in medicine.

Since founding my growth clinic in 2021, my team and I have guided more than 2,500 children across the United States through their growth journeys.

From the very beginning, our guiding principle has been simple:

In medicine — not just growth care — there is one non-negotiable principle:
Do no harm. Safety must always come first.

Where the Cancer Concern Comes From

Many parents encounter alarming headlines online that say things like:

“Growth hormone causes cancer”
“GH increases cancer risk”
“Hormones make tumors grow”

It’s understandable why this would stop you in your tracks. Here’s the key concept that often gets lost in online discussions: Growth hormone does NOT create cancer cells.

For a normal cell to become cancerous, its DNA must first be damaged or mutated.

Growth hormone:

Does not damage DNA
Does not cause mutations
Does not turn normal cells into cancer cells

What growth hormone does is support growth in cells that already exist.

In simple terms:

Growth hormone supports normal growth
It does not initiate cancer

Children Already Have Growth Hormone in Their Bodies

This is an important point that often gets overlooked.

Every child naturally produces growth hormone.
This hormone plays a critical role in normal development, including:

Height development
Bone strength
Muscle growth
Tissue repair and healing

What many parents don’t realize is that growth hormone injections are not artificial or foreign substances.

The growth hormone used in treatment today is bioidentical — meaning it is an exact replica of the growth hormone the human body naturally makes.
Your child’s body recognizes it as the same hormone it already produces.

Rather than forcing abnormal growth, growth hormone therapy simply supports and gently boosts the body’s own natural growth process, helping it work more effectively when growth potential needs extra support.

In that way, growth hormone therapy acts like a carefully controlled “growth booster” — enhancing what the body already knows how to do —not creating abnormal or uncontrolled growth.

The Critical Distinction Parents Need to Understand

There is one important distinction that parents need to clearly understand before discussing cancer risk.

Growth hormone can help any cell grow.

That includes:

Healthy cells
And potentially cancer cells if they already exist

This is why growth hormone must never be used in:

Anyone with active cancer
Anyone with a history of cancer

Growth hormone does not create cancer.
But if cancer cells already exist, GH can make them grow faster.

That is why growth hormone therapy follows strict medical rules — and why proper screening is never optional.

Why Proper Screening Is Non-Negotiable

Before starting growth hormone therapy, every child should undergo:

Detailed medical history review
Screening blood tests
Ongoing monitoring throughout treatment

These steps are designed to ensure there is no hidden condition that could be affected by growth hormone.

For healthy children who are properly screened, growth hormone therapy supports normal growth safely.

This is exactly why growth hormone therapy should never be casual, rushed, or handled without close physician oversight.

What Does Long-Term Research Actually Say?

This is often the most reassuring part for parents. Large, long-term studies have followed thousands of children treated with growth hormone into adulthood.

And the results are consistent:

For healthy children who are carefully screened, growth hormone therapy does not increase cancer risk. Children who received growth hormone had the same cancer rates as children who never used it.

What Keeps Growth Hormone Therapy Safe

When growth hormone therapy is done responsibly, safety is built into every step:

Screening before treatment
No GH use with active or past cancer
Carefully calculated, weight-based dosing
Regular follow-up and monitoring

This is why physician-guided care matters.

Addressing the Emotional Side of This Decision

Many parents carry an underlying fear:

“Am I doing too much?”
“Should I just let nature decide?”
“What if I regret this later?”

These feelings are normal.

Choosing growth hormone therapy for a healthy child is not about vanity or pressure.
For many families, it’s about:

Supporting confidence
Reducing long-term social stress
Helping a child feel more comfortable in their own body

When done ethically and safely, growth hormone therapy is supportive — not harmful.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Does growth hormone therapy cause cancer later in life?

No. Long-term studies show no increased cancer risk in healthy, properly screened children.

2. Can growth hormone make cancer grow faster?

Yes, which is why GH is never used in anyone with active or past cancer.

3. Is growth hormone safe for short but healthy children?

When prescribed by a physician, carefully dosed, and closely monitored, research supports its safety.

4. Why is screening so important before treatment?

Screening ensures there are no hidden medical conditions that could be affected by growth hormone therapy. Baseline testing also allows doctors to dose safely and monitor changes over time. This is why proper screening is the foundation of safe, responsible growth hormone care.