Pregnancy is less likely after prior breast cancer (BC) diagnosis, according to a systematic literature review that examined pregnancy after BC, fetal and obstetrical outcomes, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). Data were included from 39 studies with 57,739 women with cancers other than BC and 114,573 women with BC. The researchers found that 7,505 patients with BC had a pregnancy after their diagnosis. Patients with BC had lower chances of having a pregnancy following anticancer treatment completion compared with women from the general population (relative risk, 0.40). BC survivors had significantly increased risks of low birth weight, small for gestational age, preterm delivery, and cesarean section compared with the general population (odds ratios, 1.50, 1.16, 1.45, and 1.14, respectively). However, no negative impacts were observed on patient outcomes in association with pregnancy after BC. Better OS and DFS were seen for patients with BC with subsequent pregnancy versus those without (hazard ratios [HRs], 0.56 and 0.73, respectively). The results were similar after adjustment for the “healthy mother effect” (HRs for OS and DFS, 0.52 and 0.74, respectively).
