PharmD Info

I am diagnosed with breast cancer & will the treatment affect my pregnancy. If so what are all the complications will I face ?

Some treatments for breast cancer can cause temporary infertility or make it harder for you to get pregnant after treatment ends. Other treatments cause permanent and irreversible menopause, which means you are permanently infertile.
Chemotherapy may damage some of the eggs in your ovaries and may cause your periods to become irregular or stop. If you are pre-menopausal before starting chemotherapy, your periods may come back after treatment ends. Even if your periods don't come back, you may still be fertile.
Most doctors consider treating breast cancer more important than fertility issues. But you may not have to choose one or the other. Many women successfully go through treatment and then have a healthy baby.
The most important thing is not to be discouraged and give Most doctors consider treating breast cancer more important than fertility issues. But you may not have to choose one or the other. Many women successfully go through treatment and then have a healthy baby.
The most important thing is not to give up all hopes on being able to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby. Sure, there will be complications and the process will be difficult, but with proper medication and healthcare exercises, it can be possible for a breast cancer patient to get pregnant.

Generally, pregnancy after cancer treatment is safe for both the mother and baby.Still, some women may be told to wait a number of years before trying to have a baby.

How long depends on several factors like:
1. The type of cancer and stage
2. Type of treatment
3. A woman’s age

Treatments that can affect a future pregnancy are:
1. Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy may affect the support cells and blood supply of the uterus. It also may increase the chances of miscarriage, early birth, low birth weight, and other problems.
2. Surgery to the cervix. Removing all or part of the cervix may make miscarriage or early birth more likely. This is because the cervix may not be able to support a developing pregnancy.
3. Chemotherapy. Anthracycline chemotherapy includes treatment with doxorubicin , daunorubicin , epirubicin , and idarubicin . These treatments may damage and weaken the heart whereas the heart needs to work harder during pregnancy.

Yes, cancer treatment can affect the ability to become pregnant.Most chemotherapy (chemo) drugs can damage a woman's eggs, affecting her fertility. This depends on the woman's age, the types of drugs she gets, and the drug doses, making it hard to predict if a woman is likely to be fertile after chemo.
General chemo complications, like nausea, tiredness, and weakness, can take away both your energy and desire for sex. Other side effects that may impact your sexual health include: early menopause (hot flashes, irregular or no menstrual periods, vaginal tightness).