Is pregnancy safe after breast cancer?

Women who have had early-stage breast cancer and become pregnant do not have a greater chance of recurrence and death than those who do not get pregnant, according to results released Saturday from the largest study to ever explore the issue.

The study is the first to focus specifically on the safety of pregnancy for women whose cancers are fueled by estrogen. Researchers said their conclusions should allay concerns among some doctors and patients that pregnancy, which results in a surge in estrogen levels, could put these women at risk by encouraging the growth of any cancer cells that might remain in the body after treatment.

“Over the long term, having a pregnancy is safe,” said lead study author Matteo Lambertini, an oncologist at the Institut Jules Bordet in Brussels. “We were very happy to see that.”

To read the entire article, click HERE

written by Laurie McGinley for The Washington Post