NEW research from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute provides hopeful news for young women treated for breast cancer who wish to have children. The study, which followed nearly 200 young breast cancer survivors, found that the majority of those who attempted to conceive were successful in becoming pregnant and giving birth.
This study, to be presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), tracked the pregnancy and live birth rates of participants over a median of 11 years. The findings offer significant insights, addressing limitations of previous research which often had shorter follow-up periods, and did not account for whether participants had tried to conceive.
The study included 197 females from the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study, with a median diagnosis age of 32 years. Among these, 73% achieved pregnancy and 65% had a live birth. Fertility preservation through egg/embryo freezing prior to treatment was associated with higher live birth rates, while older age at diagnosis correlated with lower pregnancy and live birth rates. Importantly, the stage of breast cancer at diagnosis did not statistically impact the ability to achieve pregnancy or live birth.
“These results are encouraging for young breast cancer survivors who are concerned about their fertility post-treatment,” said Ann Partridge, the study’s senior author and director of the Program for Young Adults with Breast Cancer at Dana-Farber. Kimia Sorouri, the study’s first author, emphasised the importance of fertility preservation services, noting the higher success rates associated with these measures.
This research provides valuable information for healthcare professionals counselling young breast cancer survivors on fertility options and outcomes.
Reference
Sorouri K, Zheng Y, Niman SM, et al. Fertility among young breast cancer survivors attempting pregnancy: A prospective, multicentre cohort study. J Clin Oncol. 2024;42(suppl 16):1518.
