Pregnancy after cancer?

meaganb
meaganb Member Posts: 244 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My husband and I are ready for another baby. Seems simple enough, right? Oh to have the days back when a decision like this would be simple and cancer played no part in the process! I finished treatment in June, only radiation no chemo. I had a clean MRI and chest x-ray. So far every thing looks good. I visited my OBGYN today and she gave me the green light to start trying to get pregnant buttoldme to check with my oncologist just tobbe sure that pregnancy hormones wouldn't increase my risk for a recurrence. I'm still waiting to hear back from m Onco,but my guess is he'll say that he can't answer that question because my cancer is rare. Most of what I find on the Internet is related to women being diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy. There just isn't a ton of info on pregnancy after H&N cancer. I know this is a long shot, but does anyone have any info on this subject or has anyone been in a similar situation? I'm ready to move on with life but don't want to be irresponsible by making a decision based on emotion alone. Thanks for any feedback friends!

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #2
    feedback
    Hi Meagan,

    Boy is this outside of my comfort zone, but I could not resist telling another H&N survivor, the best of luck. To achieve some sort of normalcy (in this chaos) is welcome to all of us.

    Again, always my best, keep healing and looking forward.

    Matt
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #3
    ...and it's outside my knowledge zone....
    having long passed the baby making years. I hope that you get a green light all the way around tho...Are HNC cancers hormonal? I don't think so....that's a big plus, I'd say.

    p
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #4
    Hey, help me out here John
    As I recall, there is one gal who visits here on occasion - haven't seen her in a while.. She had a baby following completion of treatment for H/N. Let me think for a minute, and maybe I'll recall her name.

    Deb
  • ditto1
    ditto1 Member Posts: 660
    #5
    Flash to the Past
    I do not know much from a technical/medical aspect, but I my ex-wife was dx with a brain tumor when she was 14, I met her when she was 17. After 2 years of dating she was pregnant with our oldest daughter. Needles to say her parents were not happy but for more than just what one would assume to be why, they were afraid her cancer would return because of what they were told if she got pregnant. Well our daughter was born and later we had twins. My ex-wife is now in her 50s. All though no one knows I just wanted to share my story in hopes it would give you and your husband some feedback. It would not surprise me 36 years later in 2012 that your ONC Doc will give you the all clear to have a child, let us know.
  • meaganb
    meaganb Member Posts: 244 Member
    #6
    ditto1 said:

    Flash to the Past
    I do not know much from a technical/medical aspect, but I my ex-wife was dx with a brain tumor when she was 14, I met her when she was 17. After 2 years of dating she was pregnant with our oldest daughter. Needles to say her parents were not happy but for more than just what one would assume to be why, they were afraid her cancer would return because of what they were told if she got pregnant. Well our daughter was born and later we had twins. My ex-wife is now in her 50s. All though no one knows I just wanted to share my story in hopes it would give you and your husband some feedback. It would not surprise me 36 years later in 2012 that your ONC Doc will give you the all clear to have a child, let us know.

    Thanks for sharing your
    Thanks for sharing your story ditto! That's very comforting. Heard back from my Onco and he said he didn't see any reason for me to wait and that he didn't think pregnancy would have any effect on recurrence. I guess we're officially trying to have another baby!
  • VivianLee5689
    VivianLee5689 Member Posts: 546
    #7
    meaganb said:

    Thanks for sharing your
    Thanks for sharing your story ditto! That's very comforting. Heard back from my Onco and he said he didn't see any reason for me to wait and that he didn't think pregnancy would have any effect on recurrence. I guess we're officially trying to have another baby!

    Green light :)
    I am so happy you got the official approval of your oncologist and wish you the best of luck.
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #8
    meaganb said:

    Thanks for sharing your
    Thanks for sharing your story ditto! That's very comforting. Heard back from my Onco and he said he didn't see any reason for me to wait and that he didn't think pregnancy would have any effect on recurrence. I guess we're officially trying to have another baby!

    YEEEAAAHHHH......we're going to have a baby.....
    well, not US, but you...but what a wonderful thing, to bring a new life into the world...and we are his/her aunts and uncles :).

    p
  • meaganb
    meaganb Member Posts: 244 Member
    #9
    phrannie51 said:

    YEEEAAAHHHH......we're going to have a baby.....
    well, not US, but you...but what a wonderful thing, to bring a new life into the world...and we are his/her aunts and uncles :).

    p

    Phrannie...I wish there was
    Phrannie...I wish there was a like. Button on here so I could "like" this comment! I will keep y'all informed! Thanks for the well wishes!
  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #10
    So excited for you !
    Meagan,
    You live life to it's fullest girl ! If I'm remembering right they got clear margins and you made it through rads. Yes our dx is rare...but they caught yours early on. Please try to relax and make that baby with no regrets ! Keep us updated, and will be sending well wishes to you and the family ! Katie
  • ekdennie
    ekdennie Member Posts: 238 Member
    #11
    baby post radiation
    Hi! I am so happy that your dr said that you could try for a baby. I am happy to say that I have had a baby post radiation treatment for H&N cancer (mine was mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the hard palate, a salivary gland cancer) ! I finished radiation treatments in November of 2010 and found out that I was pregnant in Feb 2011. it was a complete shock, but after double checking with my dr.'s that it would be ok, it has been a complete joy! My daughter is now 1 year old and perfect as can be. I have no signs of recurrence. just be aware that you can not have a PET scan while pregnant and if you need one after your baby is born and you choose to breastfeed, that you will have to pump and dump for about 2 days. plus I wasn't able to hold my baby for about 24 hours post PET scan (I was told radiation levels are highest in your heart and head post PET scan and that is where you hold a child to you, so it was safest for her if I not hold her for that amount of time).
    Life goes on post-cancer. I look at my children and they remind me that I fought cancer for them, and my youngest reminds me that there is incredible joy post cancer! best of luck!
  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #12
    ekdennie said:

    baby post radiation
    Hi! I am so happy that your dr said that you could try for a baby. I am happy to say that I have had a baby post radiation treatment for H&N cancer (mine was mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the hard palate, a salivary gland cancer) ! I finished radiation treatments in November of 2010 and found out that I was pregnant in Feb 2011. it was a complete shock, but after double checking with my dr.'s that it would be ok, it has been a complete joy! My daughter is now 1 year old and perfect as can be. I have no signs of recurrence. just be aware that you can not have a PET scan while pregnant and if you need one after your baby is born and you choose to breastfeed, that you will have to pump and dump for about 2 days. plus I wasn't able to hold my baby for about 24 hours post PET scan (I was told radiation levels are highest in your heart and head post PET scan and that is where you hold a child to you, so it was safest for her if I not hold her for that amount of time).
    Life goes on post-cancer. I look at my children and they remind me that I fought cancer for them, and my youngest reminds me that there is incredible joy post cancer! best of luck!

    Tears of joy !
    What a wonderful enlightening post ! Congradulations on living life and giving life ! Katie
  • Sam999
    Sam999 Member Posts: 319 Member
    #13
    katenorwood said:

    Tears of joy !
    What a wonderful enlightening post ! Congradulations on living life and giving life ! Katie

    What a happy post! so
    What a happy post! so excited for you! Like Phrannie said, your baby will joy for all of us too! This indeed brought tears to my eye! So happy for you.

    Sam
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #14
    Best of Luck
    No possibilities of babies post-treatment for me (chemo-induced menopause - the only plus was, I didn't notice any of the bad perimenopause or menopause symptoms).

    Along with ekdennie, a lady on FB (from another Cancer support group), Angelia Reich (I'm friends with her - I'm "Pamela Suzette Mullins"), will be having her post-treatment baby soon.
  • meaganb
    meaganb Member Posts: 244 Member
    #15
    ekdennie said:

    baby post radiation
    Hi! I am so happy that your dr said that you could try for a baby. I am happy to say that I have had a baby post radiation treatment for H&N cancer (mine was mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the hard palate, a salivary gland cancer) ! I finished radiation treatments in November of 2010 and found out that I was pregnant in Feb 2011. it was a complete shock, but after double checking with my dr.'s that it would be ok, it has been a complete joy! My daughter is now 1 year old and perfect as can be. I have no signs of recurrence. just be aware that you can not have a PET scan while pregnant and if you need one after your baby is born and you choose to breastfeed, that you will have to pump and dump for about 2 days. plus I wasn't able to hold my baby for about 24 hours post PET scan (I was told radiation levels are highest in your heart and head post PET scan and that is where you hold a child to you, so it was safest for her if I not hold her for that amount of time).
    Life goes on post-cancer. I look at my children and they remind me that I fought cancer for them, and my youngest reminds me that there is incredible joy post cancer! best of luck!

    Wow! So awesome! My daughter
    Wow! So awesome! My daughter is 17 months and we don't want our children to be too far apart so we're excited to start trying! I have never had a PET scan and don't know if I ever will ( barring return of the cancer). I also had a salivary gland cancer (Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma). My OBGYN said I could still have chest x-rays after the first trimester with protection over my belly of course and I could have MRIs without contrast. I'm just so excited to have some normalcy back and ready for some joy after the last year of anxiety and sadness. Congrats on your baby girl! Thank you for sharing your story with me!

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