Full Answer
How long after chemotherapy can I get pregnant?
How long depends on several factors: Some health care providers recommend that women not get pregnant in the first 6 months after finishing chemotherapy. They say that any damaged eggs will leave the body within those first 6 months. Other health care providers suggest waiting 2 to 5 years before trying to have a baby.
What is chemotherapy for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)?
Chemotherapy for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. These drugs enter the bloodstream and reach all areas of the body, making this type of treatment useful for cancers that spread throughout the body, like chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Any drug used to treat cancer (including tyrosine kinase inhibitors or TKIs) can be considered chemo,...
What is a second cancer after CML?
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) can become resistant to treatment and progress to more advanced phases. But sometimes people with CML or develop a new, unrelated cancer later. This is called a second cancer. No matter what type of cancer you have or had, it's still possible to get another (new) cancer.
How long after cancer treatment can I have a baby?
Other health care providers suggest waiting 2 to 5 years before trying to have a baby. This is because the cancer may be more likely to come back in the earlier years. And cancer treatment during pregnancy is more complicated. Treatments can affect a future pregnancy in many ways:
Can CML patients get pregnant?
Most patients (n=217/221; 98%) had chronic-phase CML at diagnosis. Fifty patients (21%) were diagnosed with CML during pregnancy, while 184 patients (67%) became pregnant after CML diagnosis. In this group, the median time from CML diagnosis to pregnancy was 59 months (range = 1-203 months).
Does CML cause infertility?
CML-CP patients treated with imatinib exhibited reduced sperm density, counts, survival rates, and activity. Ultrasound demonstrated that the shape and size of the testis and epididymis in CML-CP patients undergoing imatinib treatment were normal.
Can you get pregnant after having leukemia?
Fertility after ALL treatment Most of the treatments for ALL are very likely to make you infertile. So you won't be able to become pregnant or father a child afterwards. Permanent infertility is almost certain if you have intensive treatment, such as a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.
How long does it take to recover from CML?
Although treatment with a TKI can work well for accelerated phase CML, it is less likely to work as well as it does for chronic phase CML. Dasatinib or nilotinib are more effective in providing longer remissions, but many patients have the CML return within about 2 years.
How I treat CML in pregnancy?
CML in pregnancy is not associated with an increase in premature infants, low birth weight, or abortion rates, which were concerns previously. The disease course is akin to that in nonpregnant females. Management options for CML diagnosed in pregnancy are imatinib, hydroxyurea, interferon alfa, and leukapheresis.
Can Gleevec cause infertility?
BOSTON (Reuters) - Long-term use of the cancer pill Gleevec may produce fertility problems in women, Greek doctors reported on Wednesday. Chemotherapy and radiation have long been known to damage the fertility of patients, but little is known about more targeted drugs such as Gleevec, known generically as imatinib.
How long after chemo can you have a baby?
It's important to wait at least 6 months (or longer) to get pregnant after chemotherapy ends. You don't want to get pregnant with an egg that was damaged by chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, fertility may be short-lived.
What are the odds of getting pregnant after chemo?
Only approximately 10% maintained the desire to become pregnant after chemotherapy. Of six patients who still wanted to have children, four became pregnant, though two of these ended in a miscarriage.
Can fertility come back after chemo?
If chemotherapy has made you infertile, it can be difficult to tell whether this is permanent or not. Some men stay infertile but others find their sperm returns to normal and their fertility comes back. It can take a few months or sometimes years for fertility to return to normal.
Can CML be cured completely?
With modern treatments, it's often possible to control chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) for many years. In a small number of cases, it may be possible to cure it completely.
How often does CML come back?
How often does relapse occur? After discontinuation of treatment with imatinib, around 60% of patients with CML will relapse. The majority of these relapses happen within the first six months. However, patients often respond to re-initiation of imatinib.
Does CML qualify for disability?
Everyone whose chronic myelogenous leukemia has progressed to this phase qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits. Those with chronic myelogenous leukemia in the chronic or accelerated phases can still qualify for disability benefits, though the process is a bit longer.
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Talking With Your Health Care Provider
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Questions to Ask Your Health Care Provider
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How long does it take for a woman to get pregnant after chemo?
How long depends on several factors: The type of cancer and stage. Type of treatment. A woman’s age. Some health care providers recommend that women not get pregnant in the first 6 months after finishing chemotherapy. They say that any damaged eggs will leave the body within those first 6 months.
How long does it take for sperm to be replaced after radiation?
Sperm may be damaged by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Those sperm should be replaced in 2 years. Even if a child is conceived soon after treatment ends, there is no research showing that he or she will have a greater risk of developing serious health problems.
How does radiation affect pregnancy?
Treatments can affect a future pregnancy in many ways: 1 Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy may affect the support cells and blood supply of the uterus. It also may increase the chances of miscarriage, early birth, low birth weight, and other problems. 2 Surgery to the cervix. Removing all or part of the cervix may make miscarriage or early birth more likely. This is because the cervix may not be able to support a developing pregnancy. 3 Chemotherapy. Anthracycline chemotherapy includes treatment with doxorubicin (available as a generic drug), daunorubicin (Cerubidine), epirubicin (Ellence), and idarubicin (Idamycin). These treatments may damage heart cells and weaken the heart.#N#As a result, the heart needs to work harder during pregnancy and labor. Sometimes, anthracycline chemotherapy is used with radiation therapy to the upper abdomen or chest. This combination increases the risk of heart problems.
Is it safe to have a baby after cancer treatment?
Pregnancy after cancer treatment. Often, pregnancy after cancer treatment is safe for both the mother and baby. Pregnancy does not seem to raise the risk of cancer coming back. Still, some women may be told to wait a number of years before trying to have a baby. How long depends on several factors:
Can cancer patients have children?
Some cancer treatments make it difficult or impossible for survivors to have children. All men and women who want to have children should talk with their health care team about potential infertility before treatment begins. They should also discuss options to preserve fertility.
Does breast cancer return?
Risk of cancer recurrence. Studies show that getting pregnant does not seem to make cancer return. Some health care providers advise breast cancer survivors to wait 2 years before trying to get pregnant. There is a link between some hormones that rise during pregnancy and the growth of breast cancer cells.
Can breast cancer recur after pregnancy?
Some studies even suggest that risk of breast cancer recurrence is lower after a subsequent pregnancy. For some survivors, getting pregnant may require stopping certain medications. But stopping medications such as tamoxifen (multiple brands) or imatinib (Gleevec) raises the risk of cancer returning.
What are the side effects of chemo?
Some common side effects of chemo include: Low white blood cell counts (leukopenia), which increases the risk of serious infection. Low blood platelet counts (thrombocytopenia), which can lead to easy bruising or bleeding. Low red blood cell counts (anemia), which can lead to feeling tired and weak.
How long do side effects of cancer last?
Before starting treatment, speak with your health care team about the drugs you'll get and their possible side effects. Most side effects last a short time and go away once treatment is over, but some can be permanent. While getting treatment, be sure to tell your cancer care team about any side effects you have.
How does chemo work?
Chemo drugs work by attacking cells that divide quickly, which is why they work against cancer cells. But other cells in the body, such as those in the bone marrow, the lining of the mouth and intestines, and the hair follicles, also divide quickly. These cells are also likely to be affected by chemo, which can lead to side effects.
What is chemo for cancer?
Chemotherapy for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Chemotherapy (chemo) is the use of anti-cancer drugs that are injected into a vein or taken by mouth. These drugs enter the bloodstream and reach all areas of the body, making this type of treatment useful for cancers that spread throughout the body, like chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
Is chemo a drug?
Any drug used to treat cancer (including tyrosine kinase inhibitors or TKIs) can be considered chemo, but here chemo is used to mean treatment with conventional cytotoxic (cell-killing) drugs that mainly kill cells that are growing and dividing rapidly. Chemo was once one of the main treatments for CML.
Is chemo used for CML?
Chemo was once one of the main treatments for CML. It's seldom used now because TKIs like imatinib (Gleevec ®) work much better. Today, chemo may be used to treat CML when the TKIs have stopped working. It's also used as part of a stem cell transplant.
What cancers are more likely to be diagnosed in the first 5 years?
Lung cancer. CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) Small intestine cancer. Thyroid cancer. Melanoma. Prostate cancer. The risk appears to be higher in the first 5 years after being diagnosed with CML, but more research is needed to confirm this.
Can you get the same cancer as someone else?
People who have had cancer can still get the same types of cancers that other people get . In fact, certain types of cancer and cancer treatments can be linked to a higher risk of certain second cancers.
Can you smoke if you have CML?
All people with CML should not use any type of toba cco and should avoid tobacco smoke. Tobacco is linked to an increased risk of many cancers and might further increase the risk of some of the second cancers seen in patients with CML.
Can you get another cancer from CML?
This is called a second cancer. No matter what type of cancer you have or had, it's still possible to get another (new) cancer.
What is the first line of treatment for CML?
The recommended first-line treatment for the chronic phase of CML is tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy . This treatment can potentially bring the cancer into remission, which happens when no more than 1 in 32,000 cells in your blood are cancerous.
How long can you stay in remission after TKI?
But some people can stop TKI therapy and stay in remission for several months or longer . According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, you might be a good candidate for attempting treatment-free remission if: the cancer has never progressed past the chronic phase. you’ve been taking a TKI for at least three years.
How long does it take for a cancer patient to relapse?
According to guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, approximately 40 to 60 percent of people who attempt treatment-free remission experience relapse within 6 months. When those people restart treatment right away, almost all of them obtain remission again.
Can CML be stopped?
In the advanced phases, CML causes more severe symptoms and reduced life expectancy. Getting treatment during the chronic phase can help stop CML from progressing. It can also improve your chances of obtaining remission. If you’re in remission, you may continue to live a full life for years to come.
Can you live a full life in remission?
If you’re in remission, you may continue to live a full life for years to come. Several treatments are available for the chronic phase. If the first treatment you try doesn’t work or causes intolerable side effects, your doctor may prescribe other treatments.
Does TKI therapy help with miscarriage?
It may support your family planning goals. Although more research is needed, some evidence suggests that TKI therapy increases the risk of miscarriage and birth defects in pregnant people who receive this treatment. Your doctor can help you weigh the potential benefits and risks of stopping TKI therapy.
How long does it take for chemo to leave the body?
Cancer treatment medications are most often excreted from the body in urine, stool, and vomit for 48-72 hours after each treatment. It is best to prevent exposure to these body fluids ...
Can radiation seeds be implanted into a tumor?
The one exception to this are patients who receive brachytherapy, in which radiation "seeds" are implanted directly into the tumor. The seeds remain permanently in the body, while the radioactivity that they contain is slowly given off over time.