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LIVING WITH BREAST CANCER > Pregnancy and fertility
PREGNANCY AND FERTILITY
As education programs and awareness about breast cancer reaches more people, breast cancer is being diagnosed earlier and in younger women. If you are a woman diagnosed with cancer during your child-bearing years, it is important to know the following:
- If you are pregnant at the time of diagnosis, inform your doctor. Some treatments are not appropriate for pregnant women, as there may berisks of harm to the fetus.
- It is not recommended to become pregnant during breast cancer treatment because pregnancy may complicate your treatment and some treatments may pose a risk to the fetus. Therefore, if you have a male partner you may need to discuss options for contraception during this time.
Many women go on to become pregnant after their breast cancer treatment is completed. However, some of the treatment options for breast cancer can affect your future ability to conceive.
- Some chemotherapy and hormone treatments can cause menopausal symptoms, including infertility. Your fertility may return to normal when treatment is concluded, but for some women, the menopause is permanent.
- Some women’s breast cancer treatment includes ovarian suppression, which is treatment to stop hormone production in the ovaries. Ovarian suppression through surgery or radiation is permanent and results in infertility, while ovarian suppression using medication may be reversible.
If you hope to become pregnant after treatment, you can discuss fertility with your doctor when setting up your treatment plan. When you weigh the risks and benefits of different options, you can include fertility concerns in your decision process.
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