Pregnancy after breast cancer: a need for global patient care, starting before adjuvant therapy

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently occurring cancer in women; early diagnosis and efficient treatments create higher event-free and overall survival rates. However, the mean age at first pregnancy continues to increase worldwide; the question of pregnancy after BC is thus raised more frequently. Chemotherapy may induce premature ovarian failure, depending largely on the woman's age and the drugs used, as well as the dosage and duration of treatment. It is important that fertility preservation strategies are addressed before chemotherapy. Pregnancy after BC may implicate a potentially higher risk of cancer recurrence, but the available literature provides reassuring data. The delay between cancer treatment and pregnancy should be discussed, depending on the initial stage of the disease. The risk of discontinuing tamoxifen prematurely should be carefully evaluated using standardised tools. The pregnancy outcome may as well be impaired by the history of cancer, leading to an increased likelihood of preterm birth and low birth weight rates. Proper follow-up and prevention should be provided based on the knowledge of these complications. Pregnancy after BC should be possible for most young BC patients in the future. This implies a global care program including multi-disciplinary teams is initiated prior to starting adjuvant treatment and particularly chemotherapy. The patient and her partner should be involved in the various steps of the process, after being properly informed.