As you know, your individual health post-cancer and treatment should be your primary concern. It is highly advisable to educate yourself in all behaviors and life choices you are considering to be certain you are not putting yourself at higher risk of cancer recurrence. Naturally, high-risk choices should be avoided at all costs.

However, reset assured that to date, research studies have shown no correlation between women who had pregnancies after their treatment and any increased risk for recurrence of their cancer.

One thing to keep in mind is that every woman’s experience and body is different. This applies to all women regarding reproduction and aren’t isolated circumstances for cancer survivors. Obviously, there are heightened concerns for cancer survivors, all of which need to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Know that pregnancy after cancer very well could be a viable option for you. You will need to talk to your doctor to know the specifics of your case. For additional information please visit https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/reproductive-history-fact-sheet.

As a cancer survivor, the possibility of passing cancer onto your child may be worrisome, and perhaps no one has directly addressed your concerns.

It is important to realize the most types of cancers occur spontaneously; that is, they are not inherited but are caused by genetic mutations that occur within each individual.

In a small percentage of cancer cases, a gene mutation associated with the cancer can be passed on the next generation. The best example of this is a patient who has mutation in the BRCA gene that increases her risk of developing breast cancer.

If you know that you have a gene associated with cancer that can be passed on to your children, make sure that your oncologist and fertility specialist knows about it. If you decide to undergo embryo banking. It may be possible to select embryos for freezing that do not carry the gene, so that is not passed on to your future children.