Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Impact of breast cancer on women’s fertility

“Cancer treatments are necessary as they are lifesaving, but the treatment can hamper one’s reproductive organs and glands, thereby resulting in infertility. Fertility changes can be temporary or permanent,” she says, adding, it is advisable to consult your medical team to learn what to expect based on your treatment.

* Chemotherapy can cause ovaries to stop producing eggs and oestrogen.
* Radiation therapy to or near the abdomen, pelvis, or spine can cause reproductive organ damage.
* Surgery in the abdomen and pelvis can harm nearby reproductive tissues and cause scarring, affecting your fertility.
* Hormone therapy used to treat cancer can disrupt the menstrual cycle, affecting fertility.
* High doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation are used in recipients of bone marrow transplants, peripheral blood stem cell transplants, and other stem cell transplants.

The degree to which fertility is affected is determined by factors such as:

1. Fertility baseline
2. The age during the time of treatment
3. The type of cancer
4. The course of treatment
5. The amount of treatment
6. The duration of treatment
7. The amount of time since cancer treatment
8. Other aspects of personal health

Is it impossible to have a child after being diagnosed with breast cancer?

“Some breast cancer treatments may have an impact on a woman’s fertility. Despite this, many women are able to conceive after treatment. The best time to discuss fertility with your doctor is before beginning breast cancer treatment,” says Dr Prasad.

If you are still receiving treatment such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy, consult your doctor before attempting to conceive. (Photo: Getty/Thinkstock)

Could breast cancer treatment harm the unborn child?

If you are still receiving treatment for breast cancer, such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted therapy, consult your doctor before attempting to conceive. These drugs have the potential to harm a developing foetus, it is best to postpone pregnancy until all treatment is completed. It’s also important to remember that stopping the treatment too soon increases the chances of the cancer growing or coming back, the doctor warns.

Breastfeeding after undergoing breast cancer treatment

Breastfeeding from the affected breast may be difficult if you have had surgery and/or radiation. According to studies, there is less milk production in that breast, as well as structural changes that can make breastfeeding painful or difficult for the baby to latch onto the breast. Despite this, many women are able to breastfeed.

It is critical that you consult with your doctor before attempting to breast-feed. Some drugs can enter the breast milk and have an effect on the baby.

“Since many breast cancers are oestrogen-sensitive, there has been concern that high hormone levels caused by pregnancy may increase the chances of cancer returning in women who have already had breast cancer. Pregnancy, on the other hand, doesn’t always raise the risk of cancer recurrence after successful treatment,” says the doctor.

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