Fertility issues in breast cancer patients

  Occasionally, patients inquire about fertility after breast cancer treatment, so here is a focused answer.  Although there is no evidence that childbirth affects the prognosis of breast cancer patients, the risk of disease recurrence and the impact of treatment on offspring must be fully considered when choosing whether and when to have children.  (1) Patients with carcinoma in situ of the breast can be considered for childbearing after they have finished surgery and radiation therapy.  (2) Patients with lymph node negative invasive carcinoma of the breast can be considered for childbirth 2 years after surgery (3) Patients with lymph node positive invasive carcinoma of the breast can be considered for childbirth 5 years after surgery.  (4) Patients who require adjuvant endocrine therapy should discontinue endocrine therapy (e.g. norethindrone, triamcinolone or other SERMs) 3 months prior to conception until the end of breastfeeding after childbirth, and then continue endocrine therapy.