Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2021 Aug;188(3):593-600.
doi: 10.1007/s10549-021-06232-5. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Success and risks of pregnancy after breast cancer

Chloe Leproux  1 , Valerie Seegers  2 , Anne Patsouris  3 , Baptiste Sauterey  4
Affiliations
Observational Study

Success and risks of pregnancy after breast cancer

Chloe Leproux et al. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. The number of childbearing-age women diagnosed with early breast cancer (eBC) is increasing, raising questions over their subsequent fertility.

Purpose: The main objective of this study was therefore to assess, in a cohort of eBC patients with pregnancy desire, the rate of live births achieved spontaneously or by assisted reproductive technology.

Methods: We conducted an observational, descriptive, retrospective study including patients aged 18-40, treated for eBC at the Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest (ICO) Pays de Loire between July 2010 and July 2016, with pregnancy desire. The primary outcome was the rate of live births. Secondary outcomes were overall survival, disease-free survival, time to conception, and spontaneous or assisted pregnancy rate.

Results: 61 patients were included, with a live birth rate of 19.7% (12/61). We observed no recurrence or death in women with a pregnancy. Pregnancy started with a median time of 36.4 months after the end of treatment (4.1-51.3 months). All pregnancies in this cohort were achieved spontaneously.

Conclusion: The results of our cohort are consistent with previous results showing that spontaneous pregnancy remains possible after treatment for eBC without increasing the risk of recurrence or death.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Fertility; Fertility preservation; Pregnancy.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Defossez G, Le Guyader-Peyrou S, Uhry Z, Grosclaude P, Colonna M, Dantony E, et al (2019) Estimations nationales de l’incidence et de la mortalité par cancer en France métropolitaine entre 1990 et 2018. Tumeurs solides. Saint-Maurice (Fra) : Santé publique France 1: 372. Available at https://www.ecancer.fr/ .
    1. Oktay K, Harvey BE, Loren AW (2018) Fertility Preservation in Patients With Cancer: ASCO clinical practice guideline update summary. J Oncol pract 14(6):381–385 - DOI
    1. Paluch-Shimon S, Cardoso F, Partridge AH, Abulkhair O, Azim HA, Bianchi-Micheli G et al (2020) ESO–ESMO 4th International consensus guidelines for breast cancer in young women (BCY4). Ann Oncol 31(6):674–696 - DOI
    1. Levine J, Canada A, Stern CJ (2010) Fertility preservation in adolescents and young adults with cancer. J Clin Oncol 28(32):4831–4841 - DOI
    1. Torino F, Barnabei A, De Vecchis L, Sini V, Schittulli F, Marchetti P et al (2014) Chemotherapy-induced ovarian toxicity in patients affected by endocrine-responsive early breast cancer. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 89(1):27–42 - DOI

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources