Pregnancy after breast cancer

Many young breast cancer survivors retain a project of childbearing, but both patients and their physicians have concerns that a pregnancy, with its associated hormone-amplified milieu, will increase the risk for breast cancer recurrence, especially if the disease is hormone-sensitive, i.e., ER–positive. Recently published data showed reassuring data on the long-term safety of pregnancy in breast cancer survivors, including those with ER-positive disease [1]. Whether a break in adjuvant endocrine therapy will compromise breast cancer outcomes is the subject of a large international cooperative group study (POSITIVE; NCT02308085). At the St. Gallen Conference 2019, the panellists were asked to give their opinion on the minimal duration of endocrine therapy before interrupting to allow pregnancy. A majority of 80% took the view that this is allowed after 18 months. A majority of 60% of the panellists endorsed restaging prior to attempted conception. According to the panellists, there is no reason to discourage pregnancy after breast cancer in all non-high-risk situations, irrespective of ER-status.

1. Lambertini M, et al. J Natl Cancer Inst 2018; 110: 426-429

Posted on 21 May 201915 March 2021