Skip to content

Able to adopt while being treated for cancer?

Page last modified on: September 23, 2008
Question from LNB: Will adoption agencies let you adopt if you are actively being treated for cancer?
Answers —Leslie Schover, Ph.D.: That's a good question. There is almost no information out there about what adoption agencies will actually do. Most of them appear to want a letter from your physician saying you are free of cancer and will have a normal life span. I think it would be unusual for an adoption agency to allow a woman to adopt while she is undergoing cancer treatment, although there are many forms of adoption. You could consider a special needs adoption for an older child, or one with physical or emotional problems who may really need a loving home and not have many potential adoptive parents.
Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: Which countries are most likely to be friendly toward a woman with a history of breast cancer?
Leslie Schover, Ph.D.: There is a very interesting online group at yahoo.com called adoption-after-cancer and most of the people in that group have investigated international adoption. I know from listening in on the group that Russia is one of the more difficult countries, because they want a letter saying you are five years free of disease before they'll let you adopt. But other people have adopted from South American countries or China, so all countries are different.

On Wednesday, August 18, 2004, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Pregnancy and Fertility Issues. Kutluk Oktay, M.D., Leslie Schover, Ph.D., and moderator Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about pregnancy and fertility before, during, and after breast cancer treatment, as well as the options of adoption and gestational carriers (surrogate mothers).

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.

Email Updates

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

Please leave this field empty

Meet the Experts

Kutluk Oktay, M.D.Kutluk Oktay, M.D. is a professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the director of the Division of Reproductive Medicine & Infertility at New York Medical College.

Leslie R. Schover, Ph.D.Leslie R. Schover, Ph.D. is a renowned psychologist with a special interest in helping people resolve or manage their sexual problems, especially those problems connected with a chronic illness such as cancer.

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

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.