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Breast Cancer (Expert Forum)
Pregnancy after bilateral mastectomy
Questions posted in the Breast Cancer Forum are answered by medical professionals from The Cleveland Clinic. Topics include Breast Biopsy, Chemotherapy, Hormone Therapy, Lumps, Lumpectomy, Lymph node dissection, Lymphedema, Mammograms, Mastectomy, Radiation Therapy, Reconstruction, Self Breast Exam, and Surgery.
Pregnancy after bilateral mastectomy
by 3girls, Jul 02, 2003 12:00AM
My wife recently was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a bilateral mastectomy in December 2002. She is 39 and as far as we know, she will need no additional procedures (ie chemo, radiation, etc.). She did not get the tri-flap procedure and no abdominal muscles were cut or used.
She is extremely healthy and we would like to have another child. We already have three and miscarried once previously. We have been getting very different responses from doctors regarding the possibilities of sustaining the pregnancy without complications for either the baby or her. The most prevelant opinion has been to wait two to five years, but waiting that long brings other health issues into play such as pregancy over 40, etc. Is their any definitive information regarding preganancy after her procedures?
She is extremely healthy and we would like to have another child. We already have three and miscarried once previously. We have been getting very different responses from doctors regarding the possibilities of sustaining the pregnancy without complications for either the baby or her. The most prevelant opinion has been to wait two to five years, but waiting that long brings other health issues into play such as pregancy over 40, etc. Is their any definitive information regarding preganancy after her procedures?
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-RN,MSN-JS, Jul 02, 2003 12:00AM
Dear 3girls, Women have been able to have children after treatment for breast cancer. The procedure of bilateral mastectomy in itself would not alter a women's fertility, or ability to sustain a pregnancy. It is generally recommended that pregnancy be delayed 2 to 3 years after adjuvant treatment is completed. The delay is not because of the influence of the pregnancy on the cancer, but rather to delay childbearing until after the time of greatest risk of recurrence of the tumor. If no adjuvant treatment was considered necessary (hormone therapy or chemotherapy) the cancer must have been very small and risk of cancer spread beyond the breast very low. If hormone therapy was recommended (tamoxifen), she would not want to attempt to get pregnant while on tamoxifen because of unknown risks to the fetus, as well as ability to sustain a pregnancy while on tamoxifen.
Member Comments (1)
by Marcy1968, Oct 29, 2009 08:28PM
A related discussion, Pregnancy after double mastectomy and transflap surgery was started.
