Can a 26-year-old with breast cancer have kids after treatment?

Question

I am a 26-year-old woman who was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer three months ago, and I am currently in the middle of my chemotherapy regimen, which includes Carboplatin and Paclitaxel.

My oncologist has been focused entirely on treating the cancer, and I completely understand that, but there is a deeply personal concern that I have not been able to bring myself to ask properly yet.

I have always wanted to be a mother someday, and now I am terrified that the treatment is taking that possibility away from me. I did not have the chance to freeze my eggs before starting chemotherapy because everything moved so fast after my diagnosis. I want to know:

If someone at 26 with triple-negative breast cancer can still have children after treatment, is it still a realistic possibility, or does the aggressive chemotherapy protocol required for triple-negative breast cancer permanently compromise fertility in most young women?
After completing the course, are there still any fertility preservation alternatives accessible to me?

I was told my anti-mullerian hormone before therapy was 2.8 ng/ml, and that this is the typical range. I can lose my health, I can lose my plans, but I can’t lose both at the same time.

I need clear medical advice on this.

Help me, please.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I completely understand how you feel, and I know how scared you are, first because of the cancer itself and second because of the fertility issue.

Your cancer therapy is doing well and the meds you are taking are correct for your condition. I do not know where you are in your journey but wherever you are, if you are already on Carboplatin and Paclitaxel then you are on the right track.

I want to clarify this clearly with regard to fertility. The main concern for fertility is not the disease itself because cancer alone usually does not affect fertility. The main factor that can affect fertility is chemotherapy.

Egg freezing is usually more important for women in their thirties or forties, but since you are still in your twenties, we are generally less concerned about that, because after finishing chemotherapy, we usually recommend avoiding pregnancy for two years after the last chemotherapy cycle, since chemotherapy can temporarily affect the quality of the eggs during that period.

After those two years, you can try to become pregnant naturally whenever you want while continuing regular follow-up for breast cancer.

Another reassuring point is that being triple-negative means you most likely will not need long-term hormonal therapy, and hormonal therapy is usually the treatment that can have a stronger impact on fertility, so this is actually a positive point in your case.

I want to reassure you that if you want to become a mother and have children in the future, the disease and the treatment should not prevent that from happening.

I hope you are satisfied with my answer.

For further queries, you can consult me at iCliniq.

Thank you.