Cathy was just 22 when she was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma.? To make things worse, it was a high-grade tumor and HER2 positive.? With support from her mother and her boyfriend, Cathy took some heavy-duty chemo after her lumpectomy, then had radiation.? She didn't lose her breast, but she did lose her hair.? One of her chemo drugs, Taxotere, affected her female hormones, her menstrual cycle, and her fertility.
Several chemotherapy drugs can temporarily or permanently switch off your fertility.? If you are pre-menopausal at diagnosis and nowhere near the change of life, be sure to discuss your fertility options with your oncologist.? Have this discussion before anybody sticks a needle into you!? Too many young women were not warned before they started chemo, not knowing that their fertility might be compromised.? Of course, we think first of our own survival when faced a breast cancer diagnosis.? Future fertility might not seem that important at the time you're making treatment decisions.? But it is indeed an important time to plan, not only for survival, but also for your life after treatment and the possibility of children.
You do have several options for preserving your fertility after chemo.? Ask your oncologist about Lupron injections to prevent ovulation during chemo.? Visit a fertility specialist and see what your options for freezing eggs or tissue for future fertility.??? Many women have found that their fertility returned after treatment for breast cancer, and went on to have children.? The good news is that having a child after breast cancer does not raise your risk of recurrence!
So if you are a young woman who is newly diagnosed with breast cancer, be your own best advocate. Ask lots of questions about your treatment options and how those will affect your future fertility.? Will your chemo drugs push you into early menopause?? How can your doctor help preserve your fertility?? Make sure you plan well and get the proper help you need for your life after breast cancer.? There are now about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in America right now - we are of all ages and races.? Reach out for support - not just for today - but also for your future!
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Reader's Stories: How I Felt About Chemo's Threat to My Fertility
This post is a part of the About.com Health Channel's blog carnival "Fertility and..." hosted by About.com Guide to Fertility, Rachel Gurevich.
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