Pausing hormone therapy to pursue pregnancy does not increase the short-term risk of early-stage cancer recurrence
https://www.facingourrisk.org/XRAY/pausing-hormone-therapy-to-pursue-pregnancy
Full article: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2212856
Women who paused hormone therapy treatment of early-stage hormone receptor-positive (HR-positive) breast cancer to attempt to get pregnant had no increase in short-term recurrence. (Posted 11/3/23)
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Questions To Ask Your Health Care Provider
- What is the risk of my HR-positive breast cancer recurring?
- Is it safe for me to pause hormone therapy to become pregnant? Is it safe for my baby?
- What screening will I need during and after pregnancy if I pause hormone therapy?
- As a young cancer survivor, what resources are available to help me with family planning?
- How long after pregnancy should I wait before resuming hormone therapy?
Open Clinical Trials
The following research studies related to fertility preservation are enrolling patients.
Fertility preservation studies for women
- NCT01503190: The Immune System's Response to Young Women's Breast Cancer. This an observational trial looking at tissue samples from patients with Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer (PABC) versus non-PABC to understand how the immune system responds.
- NCT05443737: Evaluation of a Telehealth Oncofertility Care Intervention in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention to improve young cancer survivors' oncofertility care.
- NCT0301168: Fertility Preservation Using Tamoxifen and Letrozole in Estrogen Sensitive Tumors Trial (TALES). Infertility as a result of cancer treatment affects the long-term quality of life in survivors of reproductive-age cancers. This trial will study different options for fertility preservation in patients with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer.
- NCT00823654: Serum Biomarkers to Characterize the Effects of Therapy on Ovarian Reserve in Premenopausal Women With Early-stage Breast Cancer or BRCA Mutations. This study will look at how cancer treatment affects the ovaries. Researchers will review blood samples before, during and after cancer treatment to look at levels of hormones that are produced by the ovaries and ask patients to fill out questionnaires about their menstrual cycles (periods), overall health and pregnancies.
- NCT01788839: Longitudinal Sexual and Reproductive Health Study of Women With Breast Cancer and Lymphoma. This study looks at how cancer treatment affects sexual and reproductive function. The patient will be asked to give a blood sample to see if and how cancer treatment affects the ovaries and the ability to have children (fertility). These blood draws are optional; patients can participate in the study questionnaire even if they choose not to have their blood drawn.
- NCT01558544: Cryopreservation of Ovarian Tissue. This study hopes to contribute to the development of technologies for freezing and thawing ovarian tissue to preserve fertility. The study is open to women who will undergo treatment or surgery for cancer or women with an inherited mutation who are considering undergoing risk-reducing surgery.
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.
About FORCE
FORCE is a national nonprofit organization, established in 1999. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by adult hereditary cancers.