pregnancy & breast cancer Flashcards
wishing to breastfeed following treatment for
breast cancer?
- reassured: breastfeed from unaffected breast.
- no evidence increase recurrence risk , if completed treatment.
- better survival than bottlefeeding.
- Breast-conserving surgery: not inhibit lactation
- Radiotherapy fibrosis: lactation unlikely.
- Chemotherapy HX: not affects safety of breastfeeding.
- Midwifery support: helps encouraged
What is effect of adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer on fertility?
Chemotherapy-induced gonadotoxicity
- permanent amenorrhoea, complete loss of germ cells.
- transient amenorrhoea,
- menstrual irregularity and
- subfertility.
amenorrhea by age in adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer on fertility?
Amenorrhoea
- 20–70% of premenopausal women
- < 5% under 30 years
- 50% in 36–40 years.
effect of specific agents of adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer on fertility?
- Alkylating agents( cyclophosphamide) well-recognised gonadotoxicity,
- classic CMF regimen (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) higher incidence of amenorrhoea than anthracycline (AN-thruh-SY-klin)-based regimens such as FEC (5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide).
- newer taxanes appear to be less gonadotoxic.
degree of effect of adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer on fertility?
degree dependent on
- specific agents used,
- cumulative dose administered and
- woman’s age.
What is effect of adjuvant hormonal therapy on fertility?
- not in themselves cause long-term effects on fertility.
- Tamoxifen (SERM) often menstrual irregularity and risk endometrial pathology; teratogenic, ‘washout period’ of 2–3 months
- GnRH analogues amenorrhoea and menopausal symptoms but reversible.
- Trastuzumab (monoclonal antibody binds selectively HER2 protein expressed by some breast cancers); no evidence impairs fertility, but pregnancy not advised during treatment.
What advice should be given to woman about postponement of pregnancy before embarking on further pregnancy?
- generally advised to postpone pregnancy for at least 2 years after treatment
- continue tamoxifen for 5 years.
- age and delay, poor ovarian function (chemotherapy) likely infertility.
- Women in 30s desiring pregnancy may discontinue after 2–3 years.Resuming not studied,but reasonable)
Can fertility be preserved before treatment?
- only minority of women
- scarcely any data on long-term outcome.
- routine co-treatment with GnRH analogues during chemotherapy
for ovarian protection in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer.
- therapeutic use in hormone-sensitive breast cancer, as ovarian suppression (low-estrogen state)
- insufficient level 1 data: protects oocyte pool from depletion?? uncertainties can be discussed with woman
- concerns: It may lessen tumour response to chemotherapy ER positive breast cancer.
Ovarian stimulation for egg or embryo freezing requires careful discussion in light of unknown long-term risks.
Embryo cryopreservation: success rates at least 20% per cycle, possible lower oocytes from cancer.
- may postpone chemotherapy,
- small risk of ovarian hyperstimulation.
- concern that elevated estrogen may deleterious in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer;
- Oocyte storage(without partner) Freeze–thaw techniques. only few hundred births worldwide.
- no long-term safety data.
- Harvesting immature oocytes without hormone-stimulated cycle
- not established technique.
what Modified stimulation regimes for women with estrogen-sensitive breast cancer.
- concern that elevated estrogen may deleterious in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer;
so stimulation with tamoxifen or letrozole, with gonadotrophins,
ovarian tissue storage (Cryopreservation of ovarian cortex or the whole ovary) for fertility preservation in women with breast cancer;
- insufficient data
- offered only context of research trial.
- experimental technique and
- tissue storage regulations UK restricted its use.
- small number of pregnancies after regrafting.
- disadvantage: need for surgical procedure
- advantage: not delay chemotherapy.
breast oncology service referral to fertility specialist
- How to avoid delay
- NICE recommendation
- Prompt referral essential; preparations for egg retrieval can during breast cancer diagnostic procedures and surgery to minimize delays in starting systemic treatment.
- NICE recommended universal access to sperm, egg and embryo storage for people undergoing gonadotoxic treatment.
breast oncology service referral to fertility specialist
- organisational aspects
NHS funding not in all areas, & dependent upon
- primary care trust &
- local infertility budget.
- service provision should not be dependent on local in vitro fertilistion funding arrangements.
- Oncology referral pathway (in cancer network) not necessarily coincide with local IVF arrangements.
- joint Royal Colleges working party recommended that adequate funding should be made available.
- Every breast oncology service should have designated pathway for prompt referral to fertility specialist able to offer assisted conception;
Assisted reproduction after treatment for breast cancer
Fertility treatment post-chemotherapy:limited (loss of ovarian reserve.)
- stimulation in IVF: theoretical risk hyperestrogenic state, but shorter duration than pregnancy.
- chemotherapy-induced menopause: donated eggs;
short-term HRT, theoretical risk. - Replacement of cryopreserved embryos: medicated HRT cycle.
- pregnancy contraindicated: surrogacy