Can you get pregnant after chemotherapy for breast cancer

Some women can and do become pregnant after breast cancer, and recent studies suggest that pregnancy after breast cancer should not increase your risk of recurrence. However, you should consult your doctor before attempting to get pregnant. It is important to realize that certain cancer treatments can affect one's ability to bear children, and careful thought and planning is necessary to preserve fertility before and during treatment.

There are some clinical issues to consider when thinking about pregnancy after breast cancer:

• Impact of chemotherapy on ovaries – At birth, every woman is born with a full complement of eggs in her ovaries to last a lifetime, expending one each month with her menstrual cycle. However, chemotherapy can damage ovaries in a variety of ways. Even if you didn't experience menopause, chemotherapy may kill some eggs completely, or may have damaged your remaining eggs, so they may be incapable of fertilization or may cause genetic defects. Consult a fertility specialist to determine the quality of your eggs and whether you have a chance at a successful pregnancy.

• Year of survival – While there is some debate, some oncologists recommend that you wait until you are past your five-year survival mark to consider pregnancy due to the impact it may have on your body. Others recommend waiting only two years.

• Extended treatment – Some women require additional hormonal therapy after treatment, such as 5-10 years of Tamoxifen, which can further delay pregnancy. Speak with your doctor about the possibility of taking a break from Tamoxifen to have children.

Related Questions:

Infertility

Young women being treated for breast cancer may be concerned about loss of fertility (the ability to have a natural pregnancy).

Both chemotherapy and hormone therapy can impact fertility and shorten the window of time to have children.

Learn more about breast cancer treatment and infertility.

Preserving fertility

There are steps women can take to help preserve fertility.

If you wish to have a child after breast cancer treatment, talk with your health care provider (and if possible, a fertility specialist) before making treatment decisions and discuss your options.

Meeting with a fertility specialist as early as possible (before surgery) offers the widest range of options.

Options may include storing eggs before treatment begins or using a drug during therapy to help protect the ovaries from damage.

Learn more about fertility options, loss of fertility and other issues for young women with breast cancer.

Learn about insurance and financial assistance for fertility services.  

Pregnancy and breast cancer survival

Having a child after breast cancer treatment does not appear to lower a woman’s chances for long-term survival [91-94].

Your health care provider or a fertility specialist can discuss the best timing of a pregnancy for you based on your breast cancer treatment.

Breastfeeding

Some treatments for breast cancer can impact your ability to breastfeed.

If you had surgery to only one breast, breastfeeding from your untreated (opposite) breast should be fine.

Breastfeeding should be avoided while being treated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or HER2-targeted therapy.

After lumpectomy and radiation therapy

Breastfeeding from the treated breast after a lumpectomy plus radiation therapy may be difficult. Both the surgery and the radiation therapy can harm the tissue needed for breastfeeding.

While feeding from the treated breast is possible (and the milk is safe for the baby), it’s not common and the amount of milk produced may be greatly reduced [95].

Other concerns about having a child after breast cancer treatment

Pregnancy after breast cancer treatment doesn’t appear to lower survival, but some women may have other concerns about having a child.

Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer may worry about passing on an inherited gene mutation that increases risk.

Women with a high risk of breast cancer recurrence may worry about having a recurrence while pregnant, or they may worry, like women with metastatic breast cancer, about not living long enough to raise a child.

Having a child is a personal decision. However, if you have any concerns, it may be helpful to talk with your health care provider or a counselor and to seek support from your family, friends and other loved ones.

Learn more about breast cancer concerns for family members.

Learn more about inherited genetic mutations and breast cancer risk.

Support for young breast cancer survivors and their families

Young women with breast cancer can feel isolated. Because most women with breast cancer are older, it’s easy to feel alone, even among other women with breast cancer. A support group tailored to younger women with any type of cancer may be more helpful than one for women with breast cancer.

Younger women need to be able to share their thoughts and feelings with women who are at the same stage of life and may have similar concerns about fertility and having children.

Learn more about social support for young women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Learn more about social support for spouses, partners and other family members.

Learn more about social support for children.

Updated 11/11/21

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