Skip to content

Pregnancy and ductal cancer?

Page last modified on: October 3, 2008
Question from Lisa: After a pregnancy, I developed ductal cancer. In your opinion, what should my current and future treatment plan be? Do you think I'm safe to get pregnant again? Could increased prolactin levels have caused my ductal cancer?
Answer —Kathy Miller, M.D.: It's impossible to give you specific recommendations about your treatment without knowing all of the details of your breast cancer, your previous therapies, and any other health problems you might have. We do know that very high levels of prolactin may increase breast cancers in mice, but we have never been able to find an increased risk of breast cancer associated with prolactin in women.

Deciding whether or not to become pregnant after a diagnosis of breast cancer is always difficult. There is no good suggestion that getting pregnant would increase the risk of recurrence, but based on the features of their tumors, many women may avoid or delay pregnancy because of their risk of having children that they might not be able to raise. This is clearly a difficult and individual decision, and one that will involve long discussions with both your doctor and your partner and family.

On Wednesday, November 19, 2005, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Hormone-Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer. Kathy D. Miller, M.D., Marisa Weiss, M.D., and moderator Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. answered your questions about a wide range of issues related to hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

A production of LiveWorld, Inc.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

wellness_dvd_promo

Email Updates

Stay informed about current research, online events, and more.

Please leave this field empty

Meet the Experts

Kathy D. Miller, M.D.Kathy D. Miller, M.D. is associate professor of medical oncology at Indiana University, and a Sheila D. Ward Scholar.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

Jennifer Armstrong, M.D.Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. is a breast cancer oncologist at Paoli Hematology-Oncology Associates in Paoli, Pa., with a special interest in physicians' communication skills.

Back to top

Breastcancer.org 7 East Lancaster Avenue, 3rd Floor Ardmore, PA 19003

Learn more about our commitment to your privacy

© 2009 Breastcancer.org - All rights reserved.

Breastcancer.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information and community to those touched by this disease. Learn more about our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information.