Hi,
I was diagnosed in June 2004. Since I have underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and am currently on tamoxifen. Next year, I will stop taking tamoxifen (it will be 5 years) and my partner and I are considering trying to have a baby (we don’t have any children).
Have any of you had babies after breast cancer? does being pregnant increase the risk of recurrence? would the surge in oestrogen during pregnancy be risky?
Thanks for your comments
veggiehobbes
Hi Veggiehobbes and welcome to the forums,
In addition to the support you will receive here, if you feel you need to talk to someone in confidence then please give the helpline a call, the staff here are all either breast care nurses or people who have personal experience of breast care issues. The number to call is 0808 800 6000 the lines open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturdays 9am - 2pm.
Our publication called ‘fertility issues and breast cancer treatments’ contains some information about pregnancy after breast cancer which you may also find useful, you can read it via the following link:
breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/fertility_issues_feb_06_0.pdf
I hope this is of some help to you.
Best wishes
Lucy
Dear Veggiehobbes
I have a friend who had her bc 15 years ago, she went on to have two children and then had skin cancer. I don’t think that she was ever on chemo though just tamoxifen. She is still having check-ups for her bc at the hospital. I think that she is unusual.
best of luck
Wizz
I am going through treatment at the moment and that was my concern as I have always wanted kids, I was told that many women have gone on to have kids afterwards.
Good luck
Sharon
I was diagnosed at 39 years old and was on tamoxifen for 4 years and fell pegnant, I did look into things and there is not thought to be any additional risk to the cancer coming back. I have recently had a reccurence and had a mastectomy but my original diagnosis was 18 years age so my son is now 14 and a half, good luck in whatever you decide but they will follow you very closely, best wishes love suzan x
Hi
i was 37 when dx in 2003. had surgery, chemo and radiotherapy. declined tamoxifen although hormone positive as i wanted to have kids (had only been married a year). everything happened too quickly to have any fertility treatment prior to chemo and was told that i could end up infertile but i kept my periods which was a good sign. we started trying in 2004. after a miscarriage in 2005 i fell pregnant again in 2006 and our beautiful daughter was born in december 2006. at no time did i question whether trying to get pregnant would increase my risk of it coming back. my onc when i asked him if/when it would be ok to try for a family said ‘go for it’. unfortunately i was diagnosed with secondaries (bone mets) in june of last year and now face the prospect of not seeing my daughter grow up and am now simply hoping to survive for as long as possible. i’m not sure if i’d have known at the time if that would have made any difference to the decision we made. i doubt it. our daughter is the best thing that i’ve ever done and if i’ve given my life to have her then so be it.
only you in your situation know what’s right for you, given your original diagnosis (or inspite of it). whatever you do, i wish you the best of luck.
alison
I spoke to my oncologist last week who told me that there was no link between pregnancy and reoccurance and that there was no reason for me not to try for more children. (I had grade 3 triple negative BC in 2005, diagnosed when my son was 10 weeks old).
Hope this info helps. I know it isn’t an easy decision to make.
Maccy
My sister dx 15 years ago aged 29 had mastectomy radiotherapy and some chemo but came off that as complications arose. She went onto what was a new treatment at the time “zoladex” I think, she was one of the first to have it, injections for 2 years, and was told it may make her infertile. Treatment finished, she waited 5 years as advised and two years later had a daughter. She has also so far been cancer free.
xxx
Hi Veggiehobbes,
Was diagnosed in Aug 05 grade 3 triple neg breast cancer- no lymph nodes affected, margins clear. Had Lumpectomy follwed by 6 months chemo ( FEC) and 4 weeks radio. Periods stopped during chemo but returned a couple of months after finishing in Jan 06. Was not trying for children but became pregnant in Jan 07 and had my beautiful boy in Sept 07- a truly miracle child. He truly is a character and I wouldnt be without him now. I am not having anymore as had hysterectomy 2 weeks ago today due to being a BRCA1 carrier witha high chance of ovarian cancer. Already had double Masectomy with recon from back in march 08. Hopefully this is me all now done.
There is def hope for us- good luck to you xxxx
Luan
I’m an older woman without children but remember being very moved by a very honest post by sixpen in a thread in this forum a while back: its called Babies after Chemo. Sixpen (Anne) died recently and I think the wisdom of her post is a most moving memorial to her on this site.
best wishes to all struggling with a hard decsion.
Jane
Hi veggiehobbes
When i was diagnosed aged 34 in Nov 2004, I was only 3 weeks married and we had been trying to get pregnant for almost a year. My first reaction was but I'm trying to get pregnant' to which my breast consultant rather bluntly said pregnancy and breast cancer doesn’t mix’. I’m not sure how true this is- like you I kept my periods throughout chemo, but have had unprotected sex for about 3 years now and am still not pregnant, so am pretty sure am not that fertile (mind you, I couldn’t seem to get pregnant before chemo either!!)
I haven’t had hormone treatment as mine was strongly HER2, but after herceptin finished, was told to `go for it’ by my oncologist. As I hadn’t had a hormonal cancer, she didn’t think it was a risk, but by implication suggesting if it had been hormonal, there would be a risk.
Ultimately no-one can decide for you. I am resigned to being childless- once before cancer it was something I desperately wanted. Now, although it makes me sad sometimes, I am happy with being well, and still enjoying those lie-ins! Best wishes to you, Bagelo