Pregnancy in breast cancer survivors

Abstract

Safety of pregnancy occurring after breast cancer treatment has been studied largely, but it is still debatable. These studies have generally showed that overall and disease-free survival in breast cancer survivors with subsequent pregnancy is not less than those without future pregnancy. Also, breast cancer survivors treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both had no increased risk of congenital anomalies, single gene disorders, or chromosomal syndromes in their offspring. However, it appears that the incidence of preterm labor, low birth weight, and fetal anomalies is higher in these cases. These issues as well as safe time interval from breast cancer treatment to pregnancy, safe contraceptive method after breast cancer, counseling about pregnancy in survivors, and how to follow up the patient for breast cancer recurrence during pregnancy are discussed in this chapter.