Pregnancy Safe For Breast Cancer Survivors

By Devaki

Friday, March 26, 2010, 15:15

The breast cancer survivors can have babies, without fears that pregnancy could put them at higher risk of dying from their disease. Pregnancy is not only safe for the breast cancer survivors, but in fact, it could improve their chances of survival, says the new studies.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women during their childbearing years. The delay to start the family till the women are older and the survival from breast cancer has improved the increase in the numbers of breast cancer survivors who want to have babies after their cancer treatment has finished.

It was unclear whether it was safe for them to become pregnant, due to concerns about the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, especially the increase in oestrogen. It was not sure whether the hormonal changes could prompt the cancer to recur or become more aggressive.

The researchers, who conducted the study, say that the patients who become pregnant following a diagnosis of breast cancer had a significant reduction of 42 percent in the risk of death compared to breast cancer survivors who did not get pregnant. This makes it sure that pregnancy is safe in women with the history of successfully treated breast cancer.

The study has been presented at the seventh European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC7).