Findings from a retrospective study showed that women who became pregnant after an early breast cancer diagnosis, including those with estrogen receptor–positive tumors, did not have a higher chance of cancer recurrence and death than those who did not become pregnant.1 Matteo Lambertini, MD, of Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, was first author of the poster presented during the 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting.
Study Details
This retrospective study included women younger than age 50 who were diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer before 2008. The majority (57%) had estrogen receptor–positive cancer, and more than 40% had poor prognostic factors, such as large tumor size and cancer spread to the axillary lymph nodes. Among the 1,207 patients included in the study, 333 of the women became pregnant, and 874 did not. The median time from diagnosis to conception was 2.4 years. Women with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer tended to achieve pregnancy later than those with estrogen receptor–negative disease; 23% of patients with estrogen receptor–positive disease had a pregnancy beyond 5 years from diagnosis as compared with 7% in those with estrogen receptor–negative tumors.
After a median follow-up of about 10 years from cancer diagnosis, there was no difference in disease-free survival between women who became pregnant and those who did not, irrespective of estrogen receptor status. Among survivors of estrogen receptor–positive cancer, there was also no difference in overall survival between women who became pregnant and those who did not. Survivors of estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer who became pregnant had a 42% lower chance of dying than those who did not become pregnant. ■
DISCLOSURE: Dr. Lambertini reported no conflicts of interest. For full disclosures of the study authors, visit meetinglibrary.asco.org.
Reference
1. Lambertini M, et al: 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting. Abstract LBA10066. Presented June 3, 2017.
