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Infertility certain after CMF?

Page last modified on: September 17, 2008
Question from Margaux: I'm having CMF chemotherapy treatments for 6 months -- that's a long time. That has to affect my fertility, right? I'm 40 but I still hold out hope for a pregnancy after treatment.
Answers —Leslie Schover, Ph.D.: Unfortunately, after CMF (Cytoxan [chemical name: cyclophosphamide], methotrexate, and fluorouracil), about 90% of women over age 35 go into permanent menopause. So it is probably unlikely that you would be able to have your own biological child afterward. However, again, this is a situation where you could use a donor egg and there are certainly other ways to get a child.
Kutluk Oktay, M.D.: If you have not started your treatments, you might undergo ovarian stimulation with aromatase inhibitors (letrozole [brand name: Femara]), which allows your estrogen levels to remain low while you freeze your eggs or embryos for future use, because getting pregnant with your own eggs after this treatment will be extremely unlikely.

On Wednesday, September 10, 2008, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Fertility and Pregnancy. Kutluk Oktay, M.D. and Leslie Schover, Ph.D. answered your questions about breast cancer treatments that can affect your fertility, options for preserving your fertility, being treated for breast cancer while pregnant, and more.

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.

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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.

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