Is it possible to get pregnant and have children after radiation therapy? Pregnancy after cancer: is there a chance of success? Contraindications for radiation therapy

Unfortunately, cancer is getting younger and the number of patients of reproductive age is increasing every year.

Fortunately, many of them are successfully treated and return to normal life. Then they are faced with the question of whether it is possible to have children after cancer, and when this can be done.

This small but important article for such people will be devoted to this issue.

If a man had cancer

If a man is at a young age, then before starting cancer treatment it is very advisable to donate sperm to a cryobank.

Despite the fact that a person has cancer, his sperm remains of adequate quality, without mutations caused by oncology, and subsequently he can have normal, healthy children.

But this must be done before treatment, since some cancer treatment methods stop fertility (the ability to have children) in men forever.

For example, long-term radiation therapy of the pelvic organs, inguinal lymph nodes and other areas located in close proximity to the reproductive organs.

In any case, even if radiation therapy did not make a man infertile forever, then after it for at least six months, and preferably a year, the man should not have children.

This is due to the fact that sperm may have certain abnormalities at the genetic level. In addition, the quality of sperm itself will be very poor.

If a man has undergone chemotherapy, which did not completely sterilize him, then it is better to plan a pregnancy after his husband’s chemotherapy no earlier than a year to a year and a half after the last course of chemotherapy was completed.

In the event that the treatment was carried out with immunotherapy drugs, the minimum period after which a man can have children is six months.

If surgery was performed for cancer and no additional therapy was performed, which happens in the early stages of cancer, then there are no restrictions on having children. The only thing is that any operation is stressful for the body, and in order to restore the physical qualities of sperm to the proper level, you need to wait two months. Although even if pregnancy occurs earlier than this period, it will not cause any abnormalities in the child.

If a man receives hormone therapy, then after stopping it, if the man maintains fertility, then it is worth waiting at least a year to conceive children, since hormone therapy is usually given for diseases of the pelvic organs.

If a woman has had cancer

The situation is much more complicated with women. Abroad, before cancer treatment, a woman is offered to donate her egg to a cryobank. In principle, the same can be done in our country.

However, the problem is who will carry this egg. Not only is it contraindicated for a woman to become pregnant, but also to carry a pregnancy to term after cancer treatment. And the services of surrogate mothers are very expensive in our country, and most importantly, they are still not legally regulated.

In many cases, after cancer treatment, doctors do not recommend that women become pregnant at all.

The fact is that, despite all the tricks of doctors, tiny metastatic tumor cells are separated from the main tumor and spread through the bloodstream or lymph flow throughout the body.

These tiny tumor cells can lie dormant in the body for 2, 3, or more years. They may never resume their activity. But pregnancy is a powerful process that activates a woman’s entire body.

During pregnancy, a radical restructuring of the entire body occurs. The hormonal balance changes, various organs and tissues are activated, as they are forced to ensure the normal functioning of not only the woman, but also the fetus. Energy metabolism increases sharply. All this with a high probability can lead to the fact that the smallest tumor cell that has frozen somewhere will begin to grow.

This applies to any tumor location. Pregnancy after breast cancer is also undesirable, as is pregnancy after cervical or gastrointestinal cancer.

Is it possible to give birth after breast cancer - it is possible, but you can pay for it with your own life, or you may not have time to bear this child at all; the cancer can return at any time if a provoking factor arises, and ruin both lives.

Also exclude the possibility of pregnancy during chemotherapy - chemotherapy and pregnancy are incompatible things, in this case deformity or death of the fetus cannot be avoided.

When can a woman become pregnant after cancer?

Still, I would like to talk about those cases when a woman can become pregnant after cancer treatment.

In the case of a woman, the countdown after which she can become pregnant begins from the moment she received her last therapy for the tumor.

The minimum period, if the tumor type was non-aggressive and stage one or two, is 5 years.

In the event that there was a third stage, and even 5 years of stable remission have passed since the end of treatment, becoming pregnant is highly not recommended.

If a woman has been treated for melanoma, the minimum period of remission after which you can become pregnant is 7 years, and preferably 10 years.

Pregnancy after cervical cancer

Many people ask whether it is possible to give birth with cervical cancer. It depends on the type of tumor; if you had leiomyosarcoma, which is highly aggressive and malignant, and the prognosis for it is disappointing, then I would not recommend taking risks and having a child.

If we are talking about carcinomas, and a sparing operation was performed, it is possible to become pregnant after cervical cancer, taking into account the timing indicated above.

Oncology during pregnancy

Another situation that is no less regrettable is when a woman becomes pregnant, and it turns out that during her pregnancy, she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor. The question immediately arises - what to do.

Any doctor will tell you - have an abortion and start treatment.

In my, and not only in my, practice, there have been cases when a pregnant woman, having learned that she has cancer, asks not for a standard recommendation, but asks for someone to explain to her how best to proceed. If she is ready to sacrifice her health for the sake of the child, will she be able to give birth and bear this child.

It all depends on where the tumor is located, how aggressive it is and how long the woman has left before giving birth.

If the tumor is located in the pelvic organs, the answer will be absolutely clear - abortion. For example, cervical cancer and pregnancy are clear indications for abortion.

If a malignant neoplasm is discovered in the early stages of pregnancy, the answer will also be clear – abortion.

If a highly aggressive tumor was discovered, for example, melanoma, then the child would have to be sacrificed. And the point here is not whether the woman is ready to sacrifice her life, but the fact that due to the high aggressiveness of this tumor, the woman may die before her due date.

In cases where a tumor is detected that is characterized by a slow progression or at a very early stage, or there is very little time left before the birth of the child, it may make sense to wait until the woman can have a caesarean section, in order to receive a premature but already fully formed child and immediately begin treating the woman. Of course, there can be no talk of any breastfeeding.

It is a very rare case when a woman becomes pregnant and finds out that a cancerous tumor is developing from the egg along with the fetus or instead of the fetus, but we will talk about this in another article.

Summary

Thus, if we are talking about a man, then after treatment of oncology, within the recommended period after treatment, he can have healthy, full-fledged children.

When it comes to female oncology, the birth of a child after treatment is still the exception rather than the rule.

Today, there are modern methods for restoring reproductive function. To eliminate disorders after radiation therapy and chemotherapy, special treatment is prescribed:

taking antioxidants, which have the property of attracting toxins and removing them from the body; they are mainly found in fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as herbs;
agonists that affect germ cells, inhibiting their function for the duration of treatment, so they are minimally exposed to chemicals;
phytohormones to restore hormonal levels and the ability to conceive;
herbs that restore egg maturation.

If the ability to conceive is lost, IVF can be used. The older a woman is, the fewer eggs in her body mature and the less likely she is to become pregnant. Therefore, before starting a course of chemotherapy, a woman is offered to preserve healthy eggs and save them until a favorable period for fertilization.

Male infertility does not always occur after a course of chemotherapy. In young men, fertility often returns spontaneously after a few months. If sperm are motile but unable to leave the testicles, surgical treatment is performed.

Some men agree to donate sperm for storage for later use to fertilize their wife's cells. Modern science has the opportunity to select the most mobile samples and apply them in the future.

An important aspect for restoring reproductive function is lifestyle, adequate nutrition, sleep and rest patterns, and the presence of positive emotions.

Pregnancy after treatment

Most treatments for cervical cancer make it impossible for a woman to become pregnant. Reasons for this:

After radiation therapy, the ovaries stop functioning normally. A woman has her uterus removed (a hysterectomy was performed).

In the early stages of cervical cancer, less traumatic surgical interventions are performed: conization and loop excision. In this case, the uterus remains intact, and the woman can become pregnant and give birth in the future. But these operations are possible in the earliest stages of cervical cancer.

There is another type of surgery performed for cervical cancer, this is amputation of the cervix (trachelectomy). In this case, only the cervix and the upper part of the vagina are removed, along with the pelvic lymph nodes. As a result of this operation, the vagina is shortened. The surgeon places a suture around the opening of the cervix to close it.

This operation has been carried out in medical centers for about 10 years, and women who underwent this intervention were able to become pregnant and give birth to children. However, after cervical amputation, the risk of premature birth and miscarriage increases, since in this case there is no supporting function of the cervix.

Amputation of the cervix can only be performed in the first stage of cervical cancer. The doctor cannot give you a full guarantee of the extent of the operation that will be performed. The tissue removed during surgery is examined histologically for the presence of cancer cells, and the course of the operation is changed based on the results of the examination.

If a woman is diagnosed with stage 1a2 or 1b cervical cancer, then in addition to the cervix itself, the lymph nodes in the pelvic cavity are also removed. This is done because there may be metastases (cancer cells) in the lymph nodes. If the lymph nodes are not removed in this case, the cancer may recur.

At stage 1 of cervical cancer, the risk of damage to the lymph nodes by cancer cells is very small. However, if cancer cells are found in at least one lymph node, a course of radiation therapy (irradiation of the pelvic lymph node area with radiation) is carried out after the operation. Radiation therapy completely disrupts the function of the ovaries, which leads to infertility.

Pregnancy when cervical cancer is detected

If a woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer during pregnancy, it all depends on the stage of pregnancy.

If the pregnancy period corresponds to the second or third trimester, the doctor will most likely recommend continuing the pregnancy without treatment. Cancer treatment should begin immediately after birth. It all depends on how quickly the cancer develops. The method of obstetrics and simultaneous treatment in this case will be cesarean section and hysterectomy.

Nutrition after radiation therapy is one of the important factors in restoring health after such a serious medical intervention as radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is prescribed for various cancers, including cervical cancer. Thoughtful rehabilitation after radiation, a gentle healthy lifestyle and dietary nutrition will help patients return to full functioning as soon as possible.

The consequences of radiation therapy for cervical cancer depend on the type of treatment. For cervical cancer, two types of radiation therapy are used:

Infertility is one of the consequences of radiation therapy

External beam therapy - performed using a linear catalyst, X-rays are directed from the outside into the tumor area; internal radiation therapy is carried out in this way: the radiation source is placed in a special applicator, which is inserted into the vagina and then through the cervix into the uterus itself. In this case, painkillers are used.

A feature of radiation therapy for cervical cancer is the development of such specific consequences as cessation of ovarian function. Radiation in close proximity to the ovaries stops the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone and stops ovulation. Thus, after irradiation, patients develop infertility.

Typically, women begin menopause after 3-4 months. This feature should be taken into account when prescribing treatment. If it is important for the patient to preserve reproductive function, it is necessary to discuss this with the attending physician: he may prescribe certain medications that will help avoid the development of infertility.

Hormonal creams help cope with local discomfort

Usually, to alleviate such conditions, doctors prescribe plenty of fluids, hormonal creams, and vitamins. If any of the side effects are particularly bothersome, you should tell your doctor about it in detail.

The risk of cancer in a child

The cytotoxic (destructive) effect of chemotherapy and surgery can cause reproductive health problems, reducing the chances of conception and carrying an embryo.

Ovaries. Temporary or permanent loss of ovarian function is expressed in a decrease in the number of follicles (eggs surrounded by several layers of epithelium) that mature during menstruation and become ready for fertilization. The destruction of maturing follicles leads to amenorrhea (absence of the menstrual cycle for several or more months). The severity depends on the chemotherapy drugs used. Alkylating drugs are especially dangerous;
Uterus. There are no reliable sources about the detrimental effect on favorable conditions for fertilization and bearing a child, but still, there are suggestions of partial damage in the form of impaired blood flow in the uterus and its growth dynamics. You can get pregnant, but there is a risk of miscarriage, the onset of labor at 22–37 weeks, placenta accreta, and low birth weight of the baby.

The ability to become pregnant, depending on the severity of the reproductive dysfunction, can be preserved thanks to certain methods:

cryopreservation – freezing of fertilized eggs, embryos, ovarian tissue, sperm.

Typically, cancer center specialists do not recommend that women with cancer become pregnant after chemotherapy for some time, advising them to use contraceptives until reproductive function is fully restored. But there are still opportunities to have children, and there are three of them:

postponing chemotherapy;
use of modern ICSI technologies for egg maturation in vitro;
removal of the ovaries and their preservation during the woman’s treatment.

Undoubtedly, chemotherapy drugs have a destructive effect on the female body, and in particular on the ability to conceive and bear children. But doctors note that the endometrium does not suffer, which means that the uterus is capable of receiving a fertilized egg. This increases the chance of bearing a healthy baby.

What effect does chemotherapy have on a woman’s organs?

The function of the ovaries decreases or is lost completely, this is expressed in a decrease in the number of follicles that mature into an egg for further fertilization. If the follicles are destroyed, amenorrhea occurs and menstruation is absent. This may continue for several months, and then the cycle is restored and the woman is able to become pregnant again. The prognosis depends on the drugs used to treat oncology.
The uterus practically does not suffer from chemotherapy, but its blood supply and ability to grow may be impaired, which cannot but affect the course of pregnancy. The woman does not become infertile, but there is a risk of being unable to bear a child. Pregnancy after chemotherapy is fraught with miscarriage or premature birth. A negative consequence may be placenta accreta or the baby being too light.

If the ability to become pregnant is lost, a woman can use other methods of conceiving a child.

Drugs used to treat oncology have different destructive effects on a woman’s body. This depends on the following factors:

woman's age;
type of medication and degree of toxicity;
duration of chemotherapy course.

The main side effect after treatment is amenorrhea; in younger girls, the menstrual cycle can be restored, and in older women, menopause usually occurs.

The effect of chemotherapy on a woman’s ability to conceive has not been fully studied; science cannot definitively say whether pregnancy will occur or not. Therefore, every woman of childbearing age undergoing treatment should take care of contraception. Pregnancy while undergoing chemotherapy is strictly not recommended. This is due to the following negative consequences:

pathological development of the fetus or its death due to the toxic effects of heavy chemicals;
When pregnancy occurs, the female body begins to rebuild and prepare for bearing a child, hormonal levels change, which can cause a sharp increase in malignant neoplasms and the appearance of metastases.

Therefore, during treatment, the doctor selects the method of contraception individually, but if pregnancy occurs, it must be terminated.

After undergoing a course of chemotherapy, not every woman will dare to give birth, especially since the risk of becoming infertile is very high. But still, many people wonder whether pregnancy is possible after chemotherapy. For many women, reproductive function is restored over time, the period depends on many factors:

localization and severity of oncology;
types of drugs used for treatment;
duration of treatment;
the state of the immune system and the body’s ability to recover;
woman's age.

Based on average indicators, young and strong women recover in 3-5 years. A woman under 30 years of age is quite capable of conceiving a child and carrying it to term without resorting to auxiliary methods. Those who are over 30 years old may not recover, but are quite capable of giving birth to a baby using artificial insemination.

Treatment of oncology in men also includes courses of chemotherapy, which negatively affects the reproductive capabilities of the body, which is expressed in the following changes:

The motility and number of sperm deteriorate significantly, which significantly reduces the ability to fertilize a female egg. Thus, a man can become infertile.
The drugs used for treatment have a toxic effect on the germ cells, causing genetic changes in them. When a child is conceived, he or she can take on these cells; the birth of such children can result in deformity. The greatest negative impact on the reproductive function of men is exerted by such medications as: Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide.
Irradiation of cancer cells can also lead to male infertility, this is due to the fact that radiation therapy has a detrimental effect on sperm motility. In young men, recovery occurs after 1.5 – 2 years. If the irradiation was total, fertility may not be restored.

Oncology of the reproductive organs has a particularly negative effect on a man’s ability to fertilize female cells.

Children born to parents with cancer are no more at risk of developing cancer than those born to healthy parents. A child can only genetically inherit a predisposition to cancer.

There are no registered cases of the development of cancerous tumors in children born from cured parents. But to conceive a healthy child, it is better to plan pregnancy 2-3 years after a course of chemotherapy, radiotherapy or radiation. These recommendations are related to the need to restore the body of women and men after taking highly toxic drugs.

Side effects after chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs are administered intravenously and have a detrimental effect not only on cancer cells, but also on healthy ones. A patient undergoing chemotherapy feels unwell, but then improvement occurs, pathological cells are destroyed and the body begins to gradually recover.

Normal cells are affected to a lesser extent, this is due to the fact that pathological cells divide faster, and the drugs mainly affect them. In addition, healthy cells have the ability to recover, despite the side effects suffered:

baldness, most often complete;
development of osteoporosis;
anemia;
the most severe complication is leukemia;
problems with the heart and blood vessels;
nausea accompanied by vomiting;
stomach and intestinal problems can cause complete loss of appetite;
stool disorders;
psychoemotional disorders;
swelling;
complete loss or temporary decrease in reproductive function;
inflammation of the eyes, accompanied by lacrimation.

The severity of side effects after treatment with chemotherapy depends on the type of cancer, the age and body of the patient, as well as the composition of the medications. Chemotherapy does not always have a negative effect on a man's fertility or a woman's ability to bear children.

Men can be susceptible to psychosomatics; this often causes temporary impotence and loss of interest in intimacy. At such moments, it is very important to support the man morally; over time, sexual function can be fully restored. After a course of treatment for two years, a man must use barrier protection (condoms) to avoid conception and the birth of an underdeveloped child. Physical and mental abnormalities may not reveal themselves immediately, but may appear in a child after a few years.

When pregnancy occurs immediately after chemotherapy, a woman is usually offered an abortion; the risk of developing fetal pathologies and premature birth is too high.

During radiotherapy, a number of complications may develop, which may be associated with the effect of ionizing radiation on the tumor itself or on healthy tissues of the body.

Hair loss

in the scalp area is observed in most patients who underwent radiation treatment of tumors in the head or neck area. The cause of hair loss is damage to the cells of the hair follicle. Under normal conditions, it is division (

) of these cells and determines hair growth in length.

When exposed to radiotherapy, cell division of the hair follicle slows down, as a result of which the hair stops growing, its root weakens and it falls out.

It is worth noting that when other parts of the body are irradiated (for example, legs, chest, back, and so on), hair may fall out of the area of the skin through which a large dose of radiation is delivered. After radiation therapy ends, hair growth resumes on average within a few weeks to months (unless permanent damage to the hair follicles occurred during treatment).

When exposed to high doses of radiation, certain changes occur in the skin, which in appearance resemble a clinic

In fact, there is no thermal damage to tissues (

) is not observed in this case. The mechanism of burn development after radiotherapy is as follows. When skin is irradiated, small blood vessels are damaged, resulting in disruption of microcirculation of blood and lymph in the skin. The delivery of oxygen to the tissues is reduced, which leads to the death of some cells and their replacement with scar tissue. This, in turn, further disrupts the oxygen delivery process, thereby supporting the development of the pathological process.

Skin burns may appear:

Erythema.
This is the least dangerous manifestation of radiation damage to the skin, in which there is dilation of superficial blood vessels and redness of the affected area. Dry radiation dermatitis. In this case, an inflammatory process develops in the affected skin. At the same time, many biologically active substances enter the tissues from the dilated blood vessels, which act on special nerve receptors, causing a sensation of itching ( burning, irritation
). In this case, scales may form on the surface of the skin. Wet radiation dermatitis.
With this form of the disease, the skin swells and may become covered with small blisters filled with clear or cloudy liquid. After opening the blisters, small ulcerations form that do not heal for a long time.
Radiation ulcer. Characterized by necrosis (death) of part of the skin and deeper tissues. The skin in the area of the ulcer is extremely painful, and the ulcer itself does not heal for a long time, which is due to impaired microcirculation in it. Radiation skin cancer. The most severe complication after radiation burn. The formation of cancer is facilitated by cellular mutations resulting from radiation exposure, as well as prolonged hypoxia (
Skin atrophy.

It is characterized by thinning and dry skin, hair loss, impaired sweating and other changes in the affected area of the skin. The protective properties of atrophied skin are sharply reduced, resulting in an increased risk of developing infections.

Itchy skin

As mentioned earlier, exposure to radiation therapy leads to disruption of blood microcirculation in the skin area. In this case, the blood vessels dilate, and the permeability of the vascular wall increases significantly. As a result of these phenomena, the liquid part of the blood passes from the bloodstream into the surrounding tissues, as well as many biologically active substances, including histamine and

These substances irritate specific nerve endings located in the skin, resulting in an itching or burning sensation.

To eliminate itchy skin, antihistamines can be used, which block the effects of histamine at the tissue level.

Emergence

may be due to the effects of radiation on the tissues of the human body, especially when irradiating abdominal tumors. The fact is that during irradiation, damage to the lymphatic vessels can be observed, through which, under normal conditions, lymph flows from the tissues and flows into the bloodstream. Impaired lymph outflow can lead to the accumulation of fluid in the tissues of the legs, which will be the direct cause of the development of edema.

Skin swelling during radiotherapy can also be caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. In this case, there is an expansion of the blood vessels of the skin and sweating of the liquid part of the blood into the surrounding tissue, as well as a violation of the outflow of lymph from the irradiated tissue, as a result of which edema develops.

At the same time, it is worth noting that the occurrence of edema may not be associated with the effects of radiotherapy. For example, in advanced cases of cancer, metastases (distant tumor foci) can occur in various organs and tissues. These metastases (or the tumor itself) can compress the blood and lymphatic vessels, thereby disrupting the outflow of blood and lymph from the tissues and provoking the development of edema.

drugs, and therefore patients are prescribed other treatment procedures (

). Their goal is to reduce swelling of affected tissues, as well as restore the patency of blood vessels and normalize microcirculation in the skin. This will help improve the delivery of oxygen to the tissues, which will reduce the severity or completely eliminate pain.

The cause of dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract (

) there may be too much radiation dose (

). In this case, there is damage to the mucous membrane

As well as a violation of the nervous regulation of intestinal peristalsis (

). In more severe cases, inflammatory processes may develop in the gastrointestinal tract (

) or even form

The process of moving intestinal contents and digesting food will be disrupted, which can cause the development of various clinical manifestations.

Damage to the gastrointestinal tract during radiation therapy can manifest itself:

Nausea and vomiting– associated with delayed gastric emptying due to impaired gastrointestinal motility.
Diarrhea (diarrhea)– occurs due to inadequate digestion of food in the stomach and intestines.
Constipation – can occur with severe damage to the mucous membrane of the large intestine.
Tenesmus - frequent, painful urge to defecate, during which nothing is released from the intestines ( or a small amount of mucus is produced without stool).
The appearance of blood in the stool– this symptom may be associated with damage to the blood vessels of the inflamed mucous membranes.
Abdominal pain – occurs due to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach or intestines.

Cystitis

is an inflammatory lesion of the mucous membrane

The cause of the disease may be radiation therapy performed to treat a tumor of the bladder itself or other pelvic organs. At the initial stage of development of radiation cystitis, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed and swollen, but later (

) it atrophies, that is, it becomes thinner and wrinkles. In this case, its protective properties are violated, which contributes to the development of infectious complications.

Clinically, radiation cystitis can be manifested by frequent urge to urinate (during which a small amount of urine is released), the appearance of a small amount of blood in the urine, periodic increases in body temperature, and so on. In severe cases, ulceration or necrosis of the mucous membrane may occur, which may lead to the development of a new cancerous tumor.

Why is radiation therapy prescribed?

Radiation therapy is used to treat various types of cancer. Radiation therapy is prescribed due to the fact that cancer cells have increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation and die as a result of radiation. Tumor cells differ from healthy cells by intensive division, which makes them vulnerable to radiation.

However, radiation therapy does not leave its mark on the entire human body. After it, as after chemotherapy, the patient develops a large number of side effects that significantly affect his well-being and quality of life. Severe weakness, dizziness, nausea, alopecia (hair loss), weight loss, disorders of the digestive and cardiovascular systems - this is not a complete list of the unpleasant consequences of exposure to ionizing radiation on the body.

After radiation, the patient has to recover for a long time in order to begin to feel good and return to normal life. Proper, nutritious nutrition plays an important role in restoring the vital functions of the body.

Is it possible to get pregnant after radiation therapy to the cervix

Hair loss

After the patient has completed a course of radiation, the following recommendations must be adhered to:

Freshly squeezed juices are very healthy

It is necessary to drink large volumes of liquid - about two liters per day. You can drink both plain still water and other drinks - green tea, jelly, compotes, juices. However, drinks should not be too sour or sweet. Freshly squeezed juices are very useful; It is highly advisable to give up alcoholic beverages and smoking;

all legumes, cabbage, whole grain cereals, mushrooms, many raw vegetables; It is recommended to eat in small portions in 5-6 meals; You can eat rice, apples, especially baked ones, black currants, bananas, and nuts. Vegetables are also recommended: pumpkin, carrots, beets, zucchini; Vegetarian soups are allowed, cream soups can be cooked; It is recommended to eat small meals throughout the day

It is recommended to eat greens: dill, parsley, celery; Lean boiled meat and fish should be gradually introduced into the diet; you can also steam them. It is advisable to take white meat: chicken or rabbit. After irradiation, decoctions of various herbs can be very useful: chamomile, nettle, Rhodiola, Eleutherococcus.

Often after using this therapy, patients experience a lack of appetite or poor appetite. In such cases, you should consume honey, nuts, eggs, chocolate, but it is advisable to consult your doctor before taking these products, as some of them may provoke the development of allergic reactions.

To increase appetite, it is also recommended to drink decoctions of wormwood and oregano, and add aromatic spices to food in small quantities: mint, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, lemon zest.

Radiation has a very serious effect on the human body, in addition to cancer cells, many other tissues and functions are affected, so rehabilitation after radiation therapy is extremely important. Proper nutrition (described above) is one of the most important components of rehabilitation.

Therapeutic exercises speed up recovery

Equally important for a person is peace and the opportunity to get plenty of rest. You should stay in a calm, quiet environment as much as possible and avoid noisy places. It is very important to be in the fresh air: ventilate the premises often, and over time, take leisurely walks, preferably in a garden or park. In this case, you need to ensure that the patient is warm or dressed warmly in order to avoid hypothermia in a weakened body.

In the future, it is advisable to start doing therapeutic exercises, which will lead to the overall strengthening of the body.

After irradiation, it is important to take vitamin complexes and immunomodulating agents to restore the immune system, increase the body's resistance and improve well-being.

It should be remembered that although radiation therapy has a strong negative effect on the human body, a quick recovery from it is quite possible if you follow a gentle diet and a healthy lifestyle. New pleasant experiences and a good mood also contribute to improved well-being and full recovery.

http://gynsurgery. surgery. su/cervicalcancerpregnancy/

Breast cancer during pregnancy

The third stage of breast cancer requires treatment with additional methods - chemotherapy or radiation therapy, hormone therapy, so doctors recommend postponing pregnancy for 5 years. Such a long pause is explained by a possible relapse of the cancer tumor and major complications during pregnancy. If the size of the tumor was small and the spread of metastases was initial, then the woman may be allowed to have children earlier than after 5 years.

Breast cancer and pregnancy can exist together, and treatment of the tumor has two options:

Carrying out chemotherapy. A course of antitumor drugs is contraindicated in the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy. Allowed in the 3rd trimester only with the agreement of the patient and her relatives, since complications of one degree or another are inevitable;
Artificial termination of pregnancy or early delivery, and then treatment.

A man who has undergone a course of chemotherapy suffers from loss of fertility no less than a woman, since treatment can result not only in short-term infertility, but also in complete infertility.

During chemotherapy, sperm quality is greatly deteriorated due to the destruction of spermatogonia, which are responsible for the functionality and development of sperm.

A man about to undergo chemotherapy is offered an alternative solution to the problem - storing (freezing) sperm or spermatogonia. The latter option is more acceptable to young people who have not reached puberty, but this method has not yet been fully explored. There is a possible risk of spermatogonia mutation or relapse of cancer cells after re-implantation into the body.

If you want not to lose the function of childbearing, both men and women are advised to notify the attending physician who prescribes chemotherapy. Before anticancer drugs have a negative effect on the entire body, and specifically on the reproductive system, it will be possible to preserve healthy eggs and sperm for IVF (in vitro fertilization) or surrogacy.

To rid the fetus of the negative effects of chemotherapy, condoms should be used and the end date for their use is prescribed only by the attending physician.

Now medicine makes it possible to prevent problems such as infertility. One of the main side effects of antitumor therapy is its negative impact on the male reproductive system. Oncologists advise storing sperm before treatment to protect yourself from possible infertility as a result of toxic treatment. Advances in cancer therapy give patients with a similar diagnosis a chance for a new life.

Cancer is no longer a scary diagnosis. Modern methods of antitumor treatment (chemotherapy and radiation therapy) allow the patient to cope with the disease and return to a full life after treatment.

For men, the most common tumors are:

trachea, bronchi, lung - 18.4%
prostate gland - 12.9%
skin - 11.4%
stomach - 8.6%
colon - 5.9%
lymphatic and circulatory tissue – 4.8%

Favorable treatment prognosis*

* with timely detection of the disease

Negative consequences of oncology treatment

The survival rate for malignant neoplasms has increased significantly in recent years. In Russia, it grows annually by 4.4% according to WHO. But aggressive cancer treatment has side effects. Basic consequences of chemotherapy and radiation therapy:

hair loss
anemia
change in appetite
temporary or permanent infertility
nausea and vomiting
skin and nail changes
weakness
bleeding disorder
infectious complications

Unfortunately, the average age of cancer patients in Russia decreases every year. Today, among cancer patients, a significant proportion are men and women of reproductive age: 20-40 years. Many of them are concerned with the question: What are the consequences of a malignant disease and how does chemotherapy treatment affect the ability to have children in the future? Not many people think about these consequences before starting antitumor treatment. It is important to remember that among the main consequences of chemotherapy- its negative impact on the male reproductive system:

Sperm suppression

Damage to the genetic apparatus of germ cells

Sperm suppression.

Under the influence of chemotherapy, there is a significant reduction in sperm, as well as a deterioration in their motility. Thus, the quality of the reproductive material decreases, which ultimately leads to infertility. Men who plan to become fathers after treatment may experience great difficulty conceiving.

Damage to the genetic apparatus.

You should discuss the possibility of infertility after chemotherapy with your doctor in advance. It has been proven that some toxic drugs cause genetic changes in germ cells. In the future, these disorders can be transmitted to the child during conception. Particularly negative on a man's ability to have children in the future influenced by drugs used for chemotherapy, such as cyclophosphamide and cisplatin.

Radiation therapy can subsequently lead to infertility. Irradiation sharply reduces the level of sperm motility. With a dose of no more than 0.7 g, complete restoration of spermatogenesis occurs after 1.5-2 years. With total irradiation of the entire body, fertility is not restored.

Particular attention to the negative consequences of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the treatment of oncology should be paid to men with cancer of the reproductive organs: testicular seminoma, prostate tumors, penis. And if a man is still planning to become a father, it is important to think about the consequences of antitumor therapy in advance.

The high toxicity of radiation and chemotherapy leads* to:

*Using the example of Hodgkin's lymphoma

How to avoid infertility after cancer treatment

In recent decades, medicine has stepped forward - modern technologies make it possible to prevent such consequences of chemotherapy. Nowadays, sperm cryopreservation is a generally accepted method of preserving fertility in men with malignant neoplasms, allowing them to have children in the future.

An important condition for ensuring the success of cryopreservation is freezing sperm before treatment, since cell quality and DNA integrity can be impaired even after a single course of antitumor therapy. But doctors recommend resorting to cryopreservation even after starting radiation or chemotherapy. Since with each subsequent course of treatment the quality of sperm will deteriorate, to avoid irreversible consequences It is extremely important to freeze it as early as possible.

You can use your frozen sperm at any time. There is no need to wait several years until spermatogenesis is completely restored. Conceive a child possible using the method IVF or insemination:

With in vitro fertilization (IVF), the fusion of an egg and a sperm occurs in a laboratory “in vitro”. As a result, an embryo is formed, which after 2 - 6 days is implanted into the woman’s uterus, where the fetus attaches and begins to develop. Thus, pregnancy occurs. Conception using IVF is a modern, proven method of assisted reproductive technology. Such a pregnancy is no different from a natural one.
Artificial insemination is a more economical, but also less effective way of conception. During insemination, sperm is artificially introduced into the woman's uterine cavity.

Freezing sperm is a reliable way to preserve male fertility and has several advantages:

Frozen sperm can be used at any time and delivered to any clinic at the right time
Children born using stored sperm are no different from those conceived naturally
The shelf life of frozen sperm is unlimited. There are known cases of children being born using sperm stored for more than 20 years.
The quality of reproductive cells does not change in any way throughout the entire storage period.

In the majority cases ovaries retain functions if they have been shifted at least 3 cm from the upper edge of the irradiation field. The radiation dose that the ovaries receive after transposition is calculated. It is known that when treating cervical cancer with radiation at a dose of 4000 cGy, ovaries shifted 3 cm from the edge of the radiation field receive a dose of 280 cGy, and those beyond the edge of the field by 4 cm receive 200 cGy of scattered radiation.
In one of research it has been demonstrated that the ovaries retain function when repositioned above the iliac crest.

It was estimated that approximately 80% women who underwent laparoscopic ovarian transposition retained ovarian function after various types of radiation therapy. The majority of women with stages I and II Hodgkin's disease who received radiation therapy alone or in combination with minimal chemotherapy after laparoscopic ovarian transposition retained ovarian function and fertility.

Clinical cases of unsuccessful ovarian transposition. Premature ovarian failure after transposition can be due to various reasons. This can happen if the ovaries have not been moved far enough outside the radiation field. Another reason for treatment failure may be that the ovaries migrate back to their normal location. This can happen when using absorbable suture material.

Ovarian failure after transpositions may also be due to disruption after surgery or radiation injury to the vascular pedicle. In other cases, functional cysts form. The mechanism of cyst formation is unknown, but their formation can be suppressed by the administration of oral contraceptives.

Fertility after radiation therapy. Pregnancy can occur after radiation therapy, regardless of the transposition of the ovaries performed before treatment. According to a study of 37 women, pregnancy occurred in 15% of patients with clear cell cancer of the vagina or cervix after close-focus radiation therapy with or without additional external irradiation and in 80% of patients after external irradiation for dysgerminoma and sarcoma of the pelvic organs. Interestingly, 75% of pregnancies occurred without ovarian reposition.

Pregnancy rate after radiotherapy. A number of studies have examined the incidence of pregnancy after radiation therapy to the pelvic area. In a study of 31,150 atomic bomb survivors, there was no increase in stillbirth rates, significant congenital deformities, chromosomal abnormalities, or mutations.

Similarly, in women, receiving chemotherapy with radiation therapy in Hodgkin's disease, there was also no increase in the incidence of stillbirths, low birth weight babies, congenital deformities, abnormal karyotype or cancer. However, one study found an increase in the incidence of low birth weight babies and spontaneous miscarriages if conception occurred less than 1 year after exposure to radiation. On this basis, it can be recommended to postpone pregnancy for 1 year after the end of radiation therapy.

The most common diseases for which radiation therapy is prescribed are cervical oncology and lymph oncology. As a rule, radiation therapy is not the only method of treating cancer; to obtain a positive result, it is used directly in combination with other methods of combating cancer.

To prevent fluid retention in the body, you should limit your intake of salty foods and the amount of liquid you drink. The delay is due to the fact that during the course of therapy, hormonal levels change and the water-salt balance is disturbed. Therefore, you should follow a diet and follow all the instructions of a specialist.

Getting pregnant after radiation therapy

Doctors say everything ambiguously, my attending physician says you already have a child, so there is no need to take risks: (but at the same time, those who have not given birth are told that after 3-5 years of stable remission they can try!

Why take the risk? It’s true, after all, there is already one child. Think, God forbid, then two children will remain orphans.

So, since my mother is a doctor, when all this horror happened, all sorts of professors from the city were brought in.

Now I’ve been in remission for 5 years, ugh ugh.

We visited all possible gynecologists, graduates of sciences and professors with the question of whether it was possible to give birth.

Everyone, everyone says - it’s impossible!

Firstly, there is a high probability that the disease will return and it is not a fact that this time we will be able to get out. Secondly, your eggs have already been irradiated and treated with chemotherapy; not a single doctor can assume that a healthy child will be born.

Only one doctor gave us hope and assured us that it would be possible to give birth in 5 years. She assured me until her relative with the same diagnosis died after giving birth.

Because having experienced this, you pay attention to similar cases, another example of a friend of mine. The same diagnosis, remission, pregnancy and everything started again - I had to have an abortion and again undergo radiation and chemotherapy.

My work colleague, with whom I worked side by side for many years, gave birth and died a year later from leukemia at the age of 29.

An example on the forum http://forum.littleone.ru/showthread.php?t=the girl who created this topic recently died, she had leukemia in childhood, and after her second birth there were irreversible metastases.

Sorry that I write terrible things, but are you really ready to risk leaving your existing child orphan, and the likelihood of this is too high.

Don't be offended if I'm harsh, but this topic is too painful for me, it brings tears to my eyes.

I can’t fully understand that my sister will never have children. But the risk is too high, too. You are luckier; you already have a child.

I'm not offended in any way!

Cancer is different, some of its forms are treatable. Good luck and health to you!

Pregnancy after cancer - chances, risks, prognosis

Some cancer treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, have the potential to reduce fertility in a variety of ways. For some people, physical changes make it more difficult to conceive a child, while for others these changes lead to a complete and lasting decline in fertility. Although there are options available to protect a person's reproductive function during cancer treatment.

It is not always possible to completely preserve fertility during cancer treatment. However, in modern medicine and society, there are several ways to start or expand your family, even if your (or your partner's) fertility has suffered from the effects of cancer treatment.

Pregnancy after cancer: how to get pregnant and give birth to a healthy child?

Auxiliary reproduction:

Treating cancer with chemotherapy can reduce the number of eggs in a woman's ovaries (called ovarian reserve), making it difficult for her to have children naturally. If blood tests and ultrasounds show that a woman has hormonal imbalances or abnormalities in the functioning of the reproductive organs, a fertility specialist may use special assisted reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization (a process that involves collecting eggs and fertilizing them), to achieve pregnancy. them outside the body of a woman with cancer, for the purpose of further transfer of the embryo back into her body via IVF). It is important to take into account that in women who have had cancer, the egg reserve is greatly reduced, which can lead to early menopause. Therefore, you need to see a doctor as early as possible if you want pregnancy to occur after cancer.

Donor eggs:

If a woman's ovaries are damaged during cancer treatment (or if a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer and undergoes partial or complete resection) resulting in early menopause, the patient who wishes to become a mother can use another woman's egg .

Donor eggs are fertilized in the laboratory using IVF methods. The fertilized egg (embryo) is then transferred into the uterus of the woman who wants to have a child. A woman's uterus should be healthy. Also, in order for the gestation process to proceed without complications and threats to the life of the mother and baby, the woman will have to use special hormonal drugs for the entire 9 months.

Egg donation at least gives at least one of the parents a chance to have a genetic connection with their child, which, you see, is better than having no offspring at all.

According to the law, a donor egg can belong to one of the relatives of the future parents, a family friend, or a woman from a legal donor agency, who must first pass all the necessary tests and be examined for mental problems.

Surrogate and gestational carriers:

If a woman is unable to carry a child to term, or if pregnancy would jeopardize her health, the services of a surrogate mother (another woman who carries the child during pregnancy) can be used. This procedure is called surrogacy.

The procedure in which an embryo or fertilized egg is implanted into the cervix or uterus of a woman (being able to bear a child) by a man who will be the future father of the child is called artificial insemination. Since each country has different laws, you should always consult with an attorney before considering this option.

Adopting a child:

If you do not want to undergo the above medical procedures but still want to have a child, you may want to consider adoption. To clarify all the nuances, you should contact the adoption agency.

Pregnancy after oncology – questions for the doctor

Below we will consider all the options for questions, the answers to which you should definitely know if chemotherapy (or other oncology treatment methods) provoked infertility:

If infertility occurs after cancer, what are my options for becoming a parent?
What tests do I need to undergo to find out whether the reserve of healthy eggs was damaged during chemotherapy?
How can I confirm that I am infertile (infertile)?
Can you recommend a fertility specialist?
Can the use of hormonal drugs during pregnancy provoke a recurrence of cancer?
Which infertility clinics treat pregnancies after cancer?
How does my age affect my chances?
Where can I find out more about the cost of each option?
Questions at your own discretion.

If a woman has been diagnosed with cancer after childbirth or during pregnancy, we recommend that you read the article: “Cancer and pregnancy - effects on the fetus, diagnosis, treatment.”

One comment

I had radiation in 2008. cervical cancer. I can't have any more children. This is true? who can answer me?

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The information on the site is presented for informational purposes only! It is not recommended to use the described methods and recipes for treating cancer on your own and without consulting a doctor!

Many women, having undergone a course of chemotherapy during cancer treatment, are afraid to have children, believing that the child may take on a genetic predisposition to cancer or be born with abnormalities. Some people believe that pregnancy after chemotherapy is impossible due to reproductive problems.

Undoubtedly, chemotherapy drugs have a destructive effect on the female body, and in particular on the ability to conceive and bear children. But doctors note that the endometrium does not suffer, which means that the uterus is capable of receiving a fertilized egg. This increases the chance of bearing a healthy baby.

What effect does chemotherapy have on a woman’s organs?

The function of the ovaries decreases or is lost completely, this is expressed in a decrease in the number of follicles that mature into an egg for further fertilization. If the follicles are destroyed, amenorrhea occurs and menstruation is absent. This may continue for several months, and then the cycle is restored and the woman is able to become pregnant again. The prognosis depends on the drugs used to treat oncology.
The uterus practically does not suffer from chemotherapy, but its blood supply and ability to grow may be impaired, which cannot but affect the course of pregnancy. The woman does not become infertile, but there is a risk of being unable to bear a child. Pregnancy after chemotherapy is fraught with miscarriage or premature birth. A negative consequence may be placenta accreta or the baby being too light.

If the ability to become pregnant is lost, a woman can use other methods of conceiving a child.

Is it possible to get pregnant during chemotherapy?

Drugs used to treat oncology have different destructive effects on a woman’s body. This depends on the following factors:

woman's age;
type of medication and degree of toxicity;
duration of chemotherapy course.

The main side effect after treatment is amenorrhea; in younger girls, the menstrual cycle can be restored, and in older women, menopause usually occurs.

pathological development of the fetus or its death due to the toxic effects of heavy chemicals;
When pregnancy occurs, the female body begins to rebuild and prepare for bearing a child, hormonal levels change, which can cause a sharp increase in malignant neoplasms and the appearance of metastases.

Therefore, during treatment, the doctor selects the method of contraception individually, but if pregnancy occurs, it must be terminated.

Pregnancy after chemotherapy

localization and severity of oncology;
types of drugs used for treatment;
duration of treatment;
the state of the immune system and the body’s ability to recover;
woman's age.

Chemotherapy in men

Treatment of oncology in men also includes courses of chemotherapy, which negatively affects the reproductive capabilities of the body, which is expressed in the following changes:

The motility and number of sperm deteriorate significantly, which significantly reduces the ability to fertilize a female egg. Thus, a man can become infertile.
The drugs used for treatment have a toxic effect on the germ cells, causing genetic changes in them. When a child is conceived, he or she can take on these cells; the birth of such children can result in deformity. The greatest negative impact on the reproductive function of men is exerted by such medications as: Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide.
Irradiation of cancer cells can also lead to male infertility, this is due to the fact that radiation therapy has a detrimental effect on sperm motility. In young men, recovery occurs after 1.5 – 2 years. If the irradiation was total, fertility may not be restored.

Oncology of the reproductive organs has a particularly negative effect on a man’s ability to fertilize female cells.

Side effects after chemotherapy

baldness, most often complete;
development of osteoporosis;
anemia;
the most severe complication is leukemia;
problems with the heart and blood vessels;
nausea accompanied by vomiting;
stomach and intestinal problems can cause complete loss of appetite;
stool disorders;
psychoemotional disorders;
swelling;
complete loss or temporary decrease in reproductive function;
inflammation of the eyes, accompanied by lacrimation.

The severity of side effects after treatment with chemotherapy depends on the type of cancer, the age and body of the patient, as well as the composition of the medications. Chemotherapy does not always have a negative effect on a man's fertility or a woman's ability to bear children.

When pregnancy occurs immediately after chemotherapy, a woman is usually offered an abortion; the risk of developing fetal pathologies and premature birth is too high.

How to restore reproductive function after chemotherapy?

Today, there are modern methods for restoring reproductive function. To eliminate disorders after radiation therapy and chemotherapy, special treatment is prescribed:

taking antioxidants, which have the property of attracting toxins and removing them from the body; they are mainly found in fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as herbs;
agonists that affect germ cells, inhibiting their function for the duration of treatment, so they are minimally exposed to chemicals;
phytohormones to restore hormonal levels and the ability to conceive;
herbs that restore egg maturation.

Some men agree to donate sperm for storage for later use to fertilize their wife's cells. Modern science has the opportunity to select the most mobile samples and apply them in the future.

An important aspect for restoring reproductive function is lifestyle, adequate nutrition, sleep and rest patterns, and the presence of positive emotions.

The risk of cancer in a child

Children born to parents with cancer are no more at risk of developing cancer than those born to healthy parents. A child can only genetically inherit a predisposition to cancer.

There are no registered cases of the development of cancerous tumors in children born from cured parents. But to conceive a healthy child, it is better to plan pregnancy 2-3 years after a course of chemotherapy, radiotherapy or radiation. These recommendations are related to the need to restore the body of women and men after taking highly toxic drugs.

Pregnancy after husband's radiation therapy

Maybe someone had a similar situation?

My husband underwent radiation therapy, and after 6-7 months I became pregnant. The prenatologist said that this is not a direct contraindication to B., because In men, spermatogenesis occurs within 3 months, which means complete renewal of germ cells (spermatozoa) has occurred. But just in case, he sends me to a geneticist. In Kemerovo, as far as I know, we don’t have a good geneticist. And I was already being driven to see doctors, and I was already tired of telling them at what age my periods started, and what illnesses my relatives had! Each specialist considers it his duty to schedule a repeat test and only after that declare that everything is in order.

In general, girls who have visited a geneticist, is it worth going to him or is it a waste of time?

Chat for moms

You are missing here!

To be honest, I wouldn't go. True, wait for the ultrasound. Otherwise, you will be prescribed a bunch of the same tests again (half of them are paid). It seems to me that you are doing well!

The spermatogenesis cycle actually lasts about 3 months, but gamma rays unfortunately also affect the ultrastructure of immature precursors.

They irradiated the head and covered the whole body with lead. Do you know if these rays could still reach the germ cells?

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Our pregnancy calendar reveals to you the features of all stages of pregnancy - an extremely important, exciting and new period of your life.

We will tell you what will happen to your future baby and you in each of the forty weeks.

Pregnancy after chemotherapy

Having survived cancer, many patients are aware of the negative effects of chemotherapy and are subsequently afraid of becoming pregnant, citing the child’s possible predisposition to cancer, developmental disorders and congenital defects. Also, patients’ fear of losing their child in utero deprives them of the most important emotional well-being - being parents.

Many women, not receiving complete information about conception, pregnancy and birth after or during treatment, decide to terminate their pregnancy.

The effect of chemotherapy on reproductive capabilities

The cytotoxic (destructive) effect of chemotherapy and surgery can cause reproductive health problems, reducing the chances of conception and carrying an embryo.

The chemotherapy performed affects the following female organs:

Ovaries. Temporary or permanent loss of ovarian function is expressed in a decrease in the number of follicles (eggs surrounded by several layers of epithelium) that mature during menstruation and become ready for fertilization. The destruction of maturing follicles leads to amenorrhea (absence of the menstrual cycle for several or more months). The severity depends on the chemotherapy drugs used. Alkylating drugs are especially dangerous;
Uterus. There are no reliable sources about the detrimental effect on favorable conditions for fertilization and bearing a child, but still, there are suggestions of partial damage in the form of impaired blood flow in the uterus and its growth dynamics. You can get pregnant, but there is a risk of miscarriage, the onset of labor at 22–37 weeks, placenta accreta, and low birth weight of the baby.

The ability to become pregnant, depending on the severity of the reproductive dysfunction, can be preserved thanks to certain methods:

cryopreservation – freezing of fertilized eggs, embryos, ovarian tissue, sperm.

How long do side effects last after chemotherapy?

Pregnancy during chemotherapy

Pregnancy after chemotherapy is possible, but the question is: how long does the body need to restore reproductive abilities?

The process of restoring all cells damaged during the use of one of the cancer treatment methods with chemotherapy drugs begins almost immediately after its completion. Side effects disappear after the complete restoration of cell functions, but the duration of this process is determined individually.

It depends on the following factors:

antitumor drugs taken;
general health before drug treatment for cancer.

If the reproductive and respiratory organs, heart, and kidneys are damaged after chemotherapy, side effects can last up to several years, and side effects may not appear immediately.

Every cancer patient who dreams of having children must be convinced of the effectiveness of treatment, since modern medicine has made such progress that the effectiveness of chemotherapy on cancer-damaged cells has increased, and the risk of negative effects on healthy cells has decreased.

Opportunities for cancer patients to have children

postponing chemotherapy;
use of modern ICSI technologies for egg maturation in vitro;
removal of the ovaries and their preservation during the woman’s treatment.

Breast cancer during pregnancy

Breast cancer and pregnancy can exist together, and treatment of the tumor has two options:

Carrying out chemotherapy. A course of antitumor drugs is contraindicated in the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy. Allowed in the 3rd trimester only with the agreement of the patient and her relatives, since complications of one degree or another are inevitable;
Artificial termination of pregnancy or early delivery, and then treatment.

Male childbearing after chemotherapy

A man who has undergone a course of chemotherapy suffers from loss of fertility no less than a woman, since treatment can result not only in short-term infertility, but also in complete infertility.

During chemotherapy, sperm quality is greatly deteriorated due to the destruction of spermatogonia, which are responsible for the functionality and development of sperm.

A man about to undergo chemotherapy is offered an alternative solution to the problem - storing (freezing) sperm or spermatogonia. The latter option is more acceptable to young people who have not reached puberty, but this method has not yet been fully explored. There is a possible risk of spermatogonia mutation or relapse of cancer cells after re-implantation into the body.

To rid the fetus of the negative effects of chemotherapy, condoms should be used and the end date for their use is prescribed only by the attending physician.

If a man had cancer

If a woman has had cancer

When can a woman become pregnant after cancer?

Pregnancy after cervical cancer

Oncology during pregnancy

Summary

The risk of cancer in a child

Side effects after chemotherapy

Hair loss

It is characterized by thinning and dry skin, hair loss, impaired sweating and other changes in the affected area of ​​the skin. The protective properties of atrophied skin are sharply reduced, resulting in an increased risk of developing infections.

Cystitis

Why is radiation therapy prescribed?

Is it possible to get pregnant after radiation therapy to the cervix

Hair loss

Breast cancer during pregnancy

Favorable treatment prognosis*

* with timely detection of the disease

Negative consequences of oncology treatment

Sperm suppression.

Damage to the genetic apparatus.

The high toxicity of radiation and chemotherapy leads* to:

How to avoid infertility after cancer treatment

Freezing sperm is a reliable way to preserve male fertility and has several advantages:

Getting pregnant after radiation therapy

Pregnancy after cancer - chances, risks, prognosis

Pregnancy after cancer: how to get pregnant and give birth to a healthy child?

Auxiliary reproduction:

Donor eggs:

Surrogate and gestational carriers:

Adopting a child:

Pregnancy after oncology – questions for the doctor

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Categories:

Is it possible to get pregnant during chemotherapy?

Pregnancy after chemotherapy

Chemotherapy in men

Side effects after chemotherapy

How to restore reproductive function after chemotherapy?

The risk of cancer in a child

Pregnancy after husband's radiation therapy

Mom won't miss

Pregnancy after chemotherapy

The effect of chemotherapy on reproductive capabilities

The chemotherapy performed affects the following female organs:

How long do side effects last after chemotherapy?

Opportunities for cancer patients to have children

Breast cancer during pregnancy

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It is characterized by thinning and dry skin, hair loss, impaired sweating and other changes in the affected area of the skin. The protective properties of atrophied skin are sharply reduced, resulting in an increased risk of developing infections.