Navigating Pregnancy After Cancer
A diagnosis of cancer can be difficult, both physically and emotionally. However, once treatment is completed, many individuals are eager to continue normal life. For some couples, this next step means getting pregnant and having a baby. Depending on the type of cancer treatment a person had, natural pregnancy may be more difficult to achieve. However, assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) can help people get pregnant.

Understanding cancer treatments
Depending on the type of cancer being treated, treatment can look a little different. Chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery are just a few examples of cancer treatments people may undergo. In many cases, patients will require more than 1 type of treatment to successfully remove cancer from the body.
The waiting game
During cancer treatment, pregnancy is usually discouraged. Many treatments can adversely affect a developing baby, so waiting until a medication or radiation regimen is complete is advised. However, once treatment is over, many people want to know how quickly a pregnancy can occur. Most providers will suggest waiting at least 6 months after cancer treatment to be safe. This allows the individual time to resume a healthy life and allows any eggs that were damaged during treatment to leave the body. In other cases, a wait time of anywhere from 2-5 years will be proposed. This is more likely to happen when cancer reoccurrence is possible. Talking with a healthcare provider and accounting for personal factors such as age is important.
Green light, go
Once a patient is given the green light to get pregnant, natural attempts at conception can take place. In other cases, fertility treatment may be warranted sooner. If a woman is of advanced maternal age (AMA) or past cancer treatment is known to have negatively affected fertility, IVF can help. Radiation and chemotherapy have both been shown to affect the release of a healthy egg. Sometimes, this effect is temporary, while in other cases, fertility is permanently reduced. Certain surgical procedures, such as a hysterectomy, which involves surgical removal of the uterus, may also warrant a patient moving on to IVF immediately.
IVF to the rescue
With IVF, healthy eggs can be retrieved from a woman's ovaries and combined with sperm in a lab to create an embryo. This embryo will then be placed in the uterus to grow and mature. In cases where a hysterectomy or other removal of reproductive organs has taken place during cancer treatment, a surrogate will be needed to carry the pregnancy. Women who have reduced egg quality or quantity may benefit from the use of fertility medications to encourage ovulation or an egg donor.
Hope after the Big C
Cancer treatment can feel daunting for women, and with good reason. Many treatments used to eliminate cancer can negatively affect fertility. However, with a sufficient wait time, many women go on to have a healthy pregnancy. In cases where the eggs or reproductive organs have been negatively affected during treatment, IVF is an important option to help people build a family.