No fertility treatment
How can this delay my treatment? This will not delay your treatment.
How much will this cost? There is no extra cost.
Can this interact with my hormone receptor-positive breast cancer? This does not interact with treatment.
Your doctor will likely recommend taking hormonal therapy for 5 to 10 years. If you want to get pregnant in this time, speak with your doctor about safely taking a break from hormonal therapy while you get pregnant and give birth.
Does my age impact this?
Yes. Women are born with all the eggs they will have and chemotherapy can destroy some of those eggs. Women with larger reserves of eggs at the time of diagnosis and treatment are more likely to regain ovarian function after treatment. Women who are starting with a reduced ovarian reserve before chemotherapy are at a higher risk of infertility after treatment.
Do I need a partner or sperm donor?
No. You don’t need a partner or sperm donor until you are ready to get pregnant.
More about no fertility treatment
You may decide to not take medical steps to protect your fertility before or while you’re getting cancer treatment. There is still a chance that you will have fertility after active treatment. The younger you are, typically the better that chance is. Talk to your doctor about chemotherapy medicines and other treatments that are less likely to affect your fertility, but it’s important to understand that all cancer medicines carry some risk. If you lose your ovarian reserve or go into permanent menopause, you cannot get eggs from your ovaries in the future. Other options for raising a family, like adoption and egg donation, are likely still available.
