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Study: Is it safe for BRCA mutation carriers to become pregnant following breast cancer?

New research shows that pregnancy after breast cancer is safe for women with BRCA mutations and their babies. (9/4/19)

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Contents

At a glance                  Questions for your doctor
Findings               In-depth                
Clinical trials Limitations
Guidelines Resources


STUDY AT A GLANCE

This study is about:

Safety and pregnancy outcomes for women with a mutations who become pregnant after breast cancer.

Why is this study important?

There is very little data on the safety of pregnancy and reproductive outcomes (the health of baby and mother) following a breast cancer diagnosis in young BRCA-mutation carriers. This large study addressed this important, unmet medical need.

Study findings: 

This study included patients with , invasive breast cancer (stages I, II, or III). All participants were 40 years old or younger and carried a BRCA mutation. Most (95%) were treated with chemotherapy.

The researchers looked at the mother’s health (pregnancy rate, disease-free status and overall survival) as well as the baby’s health. They found that:

  • Pregnancy following breast cancer is safe for BRCA mutation carriers.
  • BRCA mutation carriers who became pregnant had similar health outcomes compared to BRCA mutation carriers who did not become pregnant.
  • The health of babies born to women with a BRCA mutation was not different compared to babies born in the general population.

150 (76.9%) patients conceived. For the 112 patients with pregnancy outcome data

  • Pregnancy complications developed in 13 (11.6%).  
  • Of these, 2 babies (1.8%) had congenital health problems (health issues that appear at birth); this is similar to the rate of congenital health problems among babies in the general population.

What does this mean for me?

If you are a young breast cancer patient with a BRCA mutation and early-stage disease, it is important for you to know that pregnancy after treatment is considered safe. Although there are no national guidelines outlining how long to wait, most oncologists recommend waiting a specified period of time after treatment ends before getting pregnant. This study showed that pregnancy after breast cancer in BRCA mutation carriers does not appear to negatively affect the baby’s health or the mother’s prognosis. These results should reassure breast cancer survivors with a BRCA mutation who are interested in future family planning.

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Posted 9/4/19
 

References

Lambertini M, Ameye L, Hamy AS, et al. “Safety of pregnancy following breast cancer (BC) in patients (pts) carrying a BRCA mutation (mBRCA): results of an international cohort study.” Presented at: 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting; May 31-June 4, 2019; Chicago, IL. Abstract 11506.

Lambertini M, Di Maioc M, Poggiod F, Paganie O, Curiglian G, Del Mastro L, Paluch-Shimong S, Loiblh S, Partridge AH, Azim HA, Peccatorik FA and Demeestere Iet al. “Knowledge, attitudes and practice of physicians towards fertility and pregnancy-related issues in young BRCA-mutated breast cancer patients.”  Reproductive Biomedicine Online. 2019. ; 38(5):  835-844.
 

Disclosure

FORCE receives funding from industry sponsors, including companies that manufacture cancer drugs, tests and devices. All XRAYS articles are written independently of any sponsor and are reviewed by members of our Scientific Advisory Board prior to publication to assure scientific integrity.

Expert Guidelines

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) provides fertility guidelines for adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer. According to the NCCN, addressing fertility as well as sexual health and function should be an essential part of the care of young adults with cancer whose treatments may impair their fertility. This care should include:

  • Assessing the risk of impaired fertility due to cancer and its treatment and discussing options for fertility preservation. This should be done as soon as possible before the start of therapy and throughout the treatment.
  • Discussing the risks of infertility due to cancer and related treatment.
  • Considering the emotional impact of discussions about fertility preservation.
  • Discussing fertility plans and preferences.
  • Discussing fertility preservation options.

For patients who wish to preserve fertility:

  • Initiate referral to a fertility preservation clinic and/or provide resources for off-site/remote sperm banking as soon as possible.
  • Provide information on financial resources available for fertility preservation. 
  • Discuss: 
    • The importance of follow-up with a gynecologist or fertility specialist to monitor ovarian function over time.
    • The effects of treatment on breastfeeding.
    • Safe timing for considering pregnancy after treatment.

For all premenopausal women:

Discuss the importance of avoiding pregnancy and options for safe and effective birth control while in treatment.

Updated: 03/05/2025

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

  • Is it safe for me to become pregnant after treatment for breast cancer?
  • How long after treatment should I wait to become pregnant?
  • Can I interrupt hormonal therapy to become pregnant?
  • How will my breast cancer treatment affect my ability to get become pregnant?
  • How will my breast cancer diagnosis and treatment affect the health of a my baby?
  • How will a pregnancy after breast cancer impact my future health?
  • Before I start treatment, is there anything that I should know about preserving my fertility?

Open Clinical Trials

The following research studies related to fertility preservation are enrolling patients.

Fertility preservation studies for women

Fertility preservation for men

  • NCT02972801: Testicular Tissue Cryopreservation for Fertility Preservation. Testicular tissue cryopreservation is an experimental procedure involving testicular tissue that is retrieved and frozen. This technique is reserved for young male patients, with the ultimate goal that their tissue may be used in the future to restore fertility when experimental techniques emerge from the research pipeline.

Updated: 02/21/2025

Find Experts

The following resources can help you locate an expert near you or via telehealth. 

Finding fertility experts

Other ways to find experts

Updated: 04/07/2023