I’m new to these forums and am looking for some advice please. I’m 35 and was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 26, following which I had a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and took tamoxifen for 5 years. I have always been under the impression, from comments made by both my gynaecologist and oncologist, that as my cancer was oestrogen responsive pregnancy was a big no no. I don’t have any children and it’s recently something which has been niggling at me a bit. After a discussion with one of the Breast Cancer Care nurses I’m now starting to think that having a baby isn’t as out of reach as I had first thought. The nurse advised me to come on the forums and speak to other women who are in the same situation as me, so here I am! I’ve always been scared that pregnancy would cause the cancer to return, but I’m now beginning to understand that the hormones alone won’t cause the cancer, they’d only encourage it to grow if it is already there. Obviously, pregnancy is still a risk but as it’s now been almost 10 years I’m thinking that maybe my risk is greatly reduced. Is there anyone out there who had an oestrogen responsive cancer and went on to have a baby following treatment? If there is, I’d love to hear your views/advice on this.
Firstly, I must apologise because I’m 42 and am considered too old to be on this forum - but still consider myself as young.
Secondly, I must apologise because I have only nipped on this site to catch up and hubby is waiting to go to bed.
If you have a look for ‘Will I ever be a Mum’ in Younger Women section, then you will see my story - I shall pop on again tomorrow, when I’ve hopefully got more time to write.
I was dx last January aged 28. Finished treatment, periods continued and have been on Tamoxifen for about 5 months.
So many docs have so much different info.
I was told that probably would’nt be able to have any more children ( i already have a 9 year old daughter from a previous relationship ) as the chemo would probably make me infertile.
Anyway… Still having periods and have been told we can assume I am still fertile. Onc told me that they can bend the rule and I could try for a baby after 2 years of being on Tamoxifen as long as I continued it straight after. Don’t want to bend the rules as rules are made not to be broken so will go for the full 5 years and will definately try for a baby then.
My partner and I were going to try for a baby when we get married in 8 weeks time but obviously cancer blew that right out of the window.
You’re 10 years down the line, we make our own decisions but I know what i’d do if I were you.
I was dx when pregnant with my first child in feb06. I have since meet an onc (at the bcc younger womens forum) who had a special interest in bc dx in pregnancy and she said that as far as she was concerned pregnancy does not increase risk, and in fact there is some evidence it decreases it. As I was dx as triple neg and therefore have no hormonals to take and have been having regular periods for over a year having another child is possible for me- and I have decided to wait out my high risk period (triple negs hi risk is 2-4 years post dx)
As far as tamoxifen is concrened the first 2 years are the most important- then the % advantage decreases rapidly. It is worth talking thro statistics with an understanding onc.
Also do not presume chemo makes you infertlie! you might be wrong! lots of women continue to menstruate,
It is a very hard decion to to try and get pregnant cos it is not just about what we want, but medical opoin might well of changed since your original dx cos it def sounds harsh to what I have heard.
Thanks for your responses - it’s so confusing isn’t it? I’ve been reading about another woman on these forums who was also told not to get pregnant but decided to do it anyway and then found out days after her child was born that she had cancer again, which is just tragic. I think i’ll have another chat with my consultant but I’m begining to think that it’s just not worth the risk - I don’t want to have a child only to leave it without a mother. It’s very unfair, you assume that once you’ve finished your treatment the nightmare will be sort of over with, but it never is!
Hi there. I am 34. I specifically asked a consultant whether getting pregnant in the future increased risk of cancer coming back (I have just started tamoxifen) and he said there is no evidence to that effect. He was almost encouraging me not to rule it out when I had in fact been trying to do that. The biggest thing is the idea of my husband being left with a baby/child…
I had original bc in 2000 (lumpectomy, cmf, rads, zoladex and tamoxifen)
I had baby in august 2007 and was told 2 days later that it was back and in my bones.
I have heard numerous rumours from work - that I blame the baby for bringing the cancer back. You wouldnt believe how mad this has made me!!
I was ignorant beyond belief about secondaries!!! But if we had thought that it would come back, there is no way that we would have tried for a baby - if it hadnt been for the baby, then the cancer most probably wouldnt have been found as soon as it was - so we are grateful in that respect.
It is an extremely hard thing to decide upon. We had already made the decision that if it didnt happen naturally, then we werent prepared to take it any further.
Collette and Sinclair - I think that you have both hit the nail on the head - “I don’t want to have a child only to leave it without a mother” and “The biggest thing is the idea of my husband being left with a baby/child…”. Although our baby is the thing that keeps us sane most of the time, these thoughts go through our minds so often. I am trying to be positive about life span and enjoy my time.
I have read other posts that mention adoption - but to me, it is the same circumstances - a child without its Mother.
I worry about my husband’s finances when I’ve gone. How will he cope? I have been looking at childminders who start earlier than usual (baby would need to be dropped off at 6.15 am) - he starts work at 7. He would need a car to drop the baby off - but how would be able to afford to run a car as well. My head is exhausted but these are just a few things to consider. I’m sorry.
In hindsight, I wish that I could have had CT, MRI and Bone Scans before trying to conceive - the biggest unanswered question is: has it been sitting there for all these years without causing symptoms?
I am waffling now - there is no right or wrong with this situation - I hope that all goes well for you in whatever you decide to do - but I urge you to do some research on secondaries before venturing.