Dr. Danzer, a longtime expert on women’s health issues, shares about preserving fertility after a breast cancer diagnosis in the post that follows. Dr. Danzer has authored numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals such as Fertility and Sterility and the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Danzer was named one of the Top 10 Fertility Specialists in the country by Parent Magazine. More about Dr. Danzer follows his post.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women today; it is increasing diagnosed during their reproductive age years. With advances in the freezing technology of both eggs and embryos, many of these women will be able to preserve their fertility. Women that have a diagnosis of breast cancer may face several years of treatments, some of which may interfere with their fertility in the future. Chemotherapy agents or radiation may decrease significantly the reserve of eggs in the ovary. This makes future pregnancies very difficult for many.
Discussions about future fertility are often overlooked or are very difficult at the time when a diagnosis of breast cancer is made. The woman and her family are focused on issues of the diagnosis and future treatments. However, many women regret not undertaking the task of preserving their fertility prior to the start of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Today, in vitro fertilization is widely accepted as safe for women with breast cancer. There is no evidence that stimulating the ovary for one cycle before the beginning of treatment has any adverse effect on the progression of the cancer. In vitro fertilization can be accomplished in a matter of weeks. Eggs are retrieved from the ovary, and eggs can be frozen if the woman does not have a partner or does not wish to create embryos at that time. The eggs may also be fertilized and embryos created and grown for 3 to 5 days, and embryos are frozen at the point in time.
At the completion of the woman’s treatment for breast cancer, it is generally accepted that after 2 years of a tumor free interval it is appropriate for many to attempt pregnancy. At that time, the frozen eggs are thawed, the eggs can be fertilized and grown to embryos and then transferred to the uterus. If embryos had already been created, they may be transferred at that time. There is good evidence today that pregnancy, following the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of breast cancer, can be followed by a successful pregnancy that does not increase the likelihood of a recurrence of the breast cancer. Most oncologists today believe that it is important for a woman diagnosed with breast cancer to explore the option of fertility preservation before chemotherapy or radiation therapy is started.
Dr. Hal Danzer is co-founder and partner of the Southern California Reproductive Center http://www.scrcivf.com/ Dr. Danzer is a reproductive endocrinologist, and board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology. He serves on the faculty of the UCLA Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Program. He is also Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Among his hospital appointments, Dr. Danzer served as Reproductive Endocrinologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as well as Attending Physician in the Cedars-Sinai Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Danzer earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of San Francisco and his medical degree from the St. Louis University School of Medicine. Following his internship at the University of Southern California Medical Center, he pursued his residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he earned a Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology.
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