Childbearing
Does Not Increase Mortality in Women Previously Diagnosed
with Breast Cancer
According to a recent article published in the journal Cancer,
childbearing in women who had previously been diagnosed with
breast cancer does not increase mortality.
Breast cancer is a common malignancy among women. One-quarter
of breast cancer cases occur in women prior to menopause,
at an age in which bearing children may be an important consideration.
However, concern has arisen regarding the effects of pregnancy
in women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer.
This concern stems from the fact that breast cancer can be
stimulated to grow by various endocrine signals, particularly
the female hormones estrogen and/or progesterone. During pregnancy,
complex endocrine processes are evoked within a woman's body,
with estrogen and/or progesterone levels soaring throughout
the course of the term. This has left physicians and patients
worried about the effects of pregnancy in raising the risk
of mortality and/or a cancer recurrence in women who have
already been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer.
Researchers from several institutions evaluated data involving
over 3,000 women under the age of 45 years who had been diagnosed
with breast cancer, the majority of whom had localized breast
cancer. Patients had been diagnosed with breast cancer between
1980 and 1994 in several different states. Approximately 440
of these women gave birth to a live infant at least 10 months
following the diagnosis of breast cancer. Women who had given
birth following diagnosis were compared to women who had not
given birth following their diagnosis and had similar age
at time of diagnosis, race and ethnicity, diagnosis year and
specific extent and type of breast cancer diagnosis. Women
who gave birth following their breast cancer diagnosis actually
had a decreased risk of mortality, compared to those who did
not have subsequent births. Women who were pregnant at the
time of their diagnosis had similar mortality to those who
did not have subsequent births following diagnosis.
The researchers concluded that childbearing at least 10 months
following a diagnosis of breast cancer does not appear to
increase the risk of mortality and may, in fact decrease the
risk of mortality. However, the researchers caution that further
confirmation is necessary as these statistics may be skewed,
as healthier women may be more likely to become pregnant and
achieve live births. Young women who have been diagnosed with
cancer who are considering to enlarge their families should
speak with their physician about the possible risks and benefits
of their decision.
Reference: Mueller B, Simon M, Deapen D, et al. Childbearing
and survival after breast carcinoma in young women. Cancer.
2003. Published online. August 2003. Accessed August 13, 2003.
Available at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/104552819/FILE?TPL=ftx_start&mode=html.
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