- 01Plan together
- 02Pregnancy care
- 03Birth & recovery
Your next chapter
Many people have healthy pregnancies after cancer
Pregnancy After Cancer
Your plan for pregnancy and birth
Patient guidance
Your next chapter
A shared plan helps you know what comes next
Three questions will guide this visit.
01
When can I try?
Understand timing and medicines.
02
What checks do I need?
Connect past treatment with pregnancy care.
03
What happens after birth?
Plan feeding, recovery, and follow-up.
Learning goals
Plan together
Your cancer and pregnancy teams should work together
You are at the center of the plan.
YOU Your goals · Your questions · Your choices
01
Cancer doctor
Your oncologist reviews cancer follow-up and treatment.
02
Pregnancy team
Your OB cares for pregnancy. An MFM specialist helps when extra expertise is needed.
03
Other specialists
Heart, fertility, or genetics care may help, depending on your history.
Care planning
Plan together
Your treatment summary is the starting point
Bring a copy to your planning visit or first pregnancy appointment.
01
Diagnosis & dates
Cancer type, when it was found, and when treatment ended.
02
Past treatment
Drug names, radiation areas, and operation reports.
03
Current care
Medicines, supplements, and your cancer follow-up plan.
Practical checklist
Plan together
There is no single waiting time for everyone
Your team weighs several things before you try for pregnancy.
01
Recovery
How your body has recovered and when medicines have cleared.
02
Cancer follow-up
Your cancer type, treatment plan, and risk of cancer returning.
03
Fertility & age
Your chance of pregnancy now and how waiting may affect it.
Patient guidance
Plan together
Review cancer medicines before trying for pregnancy
Some cancer medicines can harm a developing baby.
- 01Review every medicine
- 02Agree on any pause and waiting time
- 03Write down the restart plan
Already pregnant while taking treatment? Contact your cancer and pregnancy teams promptly for medicine-specific advice.
Patient guidance
Plan together
A breast cancer treatment pause needs a specialist plan
Endocrine therapy means medicine that blocks hormone effects on cancer.
01
What the study found
The 2026 POSITIVE update remained reassuring after about six years of follow-up in selected patients with early breast cancer.
02
What remains uncertain
This was not a randomized trial. It cannot prove lifelong safety or tell every patient whether a pause is right.
Study evidence
Plan together
Fertility can change after treatment
Fertility means the ability to become pregnant.
01
Pregnancy may still be possible
Missing periods does not always mean you cannot become pregnant.
02
Ask for early advice
A fertility specialist can discuss testing, stored eggs or embryos, and treatment options.
03
More than one path
Other ways to become a parent may be available if pregnancy is difficult or unsafe.
Patient guidance
Care that fits you
Some past treatments make a heart check important
Pregnancy asks your heart to do more work.
- 01Review heart-affecting treatment
- 02Ask about a heart ultrasound
- 03Agree on follow-up
Certain chemotherapy drugs, such as doxorubicin, and radiation involving the heart can affect its pumping strength.
Survivor guidance
Care that fits you
Extra checks should match your past treatment
Different treatments can leave different effects on the body.
01
Womb & cervix
Pelvic radiation or surgery may affect pregnancy. The cervix is the opening of the womb.
02
Thyroid
Radiation or other treatments can affect this gland, which helps control body functions.
03
Kidneys
Some cancer treatments affect how well the kidneys filter blood.
Exposure-based care
Care that fits you
Extra visits can help track you and your baby
“Higher risk” means your team may recommend closer care.
Usual prenatal care
01
Baby’s growth
Extra ultrasound scans may be useful.
02
Your health
Blood pressure and other checks follow your history.
03
Risk of early birth
Past treatment may affect when your baby is born.
Individualized care
Care that fits you
Inherited risk depends on genes and family history
Past cancer treatment does not mean your baby will have cancer.
01
Past treatment
This is different from a gene change that runs in a family.
02
Inherited gene changes
Some can raise a child’s future cancer risk. Genetic counseling helps explain what a result means.
Patient guidance
Stay connected
Keep cancer follow-up on your pregnancy calendar
Pregnancy visits and cancer follow-up both matter.
01
Keep appointments
Ask both teams to share the follow-up plan.
02
Report changes
Tell your team about new or persistent symptoms.
03
Get needed tests
Your doctors can select imaging and other tests for your situation.
Patient guidance
Know when to call
Some symptoms need medical care right away
Do not wait for your next appointment.
Call emergency services
Chest pain, severe trouble breathing, or fainting. In the U.S., call 911.
Get immediate medical care
Severe headache or vision changes, heavy bleeding, or your baby moving less than usual. Contact your pregnancy team or go to the hospital.
Urgent warning signs
Birth & recovery
Your birth plan depends on your pregnancy and past surgery
A history of cancer alone does not set the date or type of birth.
01
Timing
Your health and your baby’s health guide the date.
02
Type of birth
Vaginal birth may be possible. Prior pelvic surgery can change the plan.
03
Team & setting
Ask who needs to be involved and where you should give birth.
Individualized planning
Birth & recovery
Plan feeding and cancer follow-up before birth
Your feeding plan needs to fit your treatment plan.
01
Milk supply
Breast surgery or radiation may reduce milk from the treated breast.
02
Medicine safety
Some cancer medicines are unsafe during breastfeeding. Timing is specific to the drug.
03
Your next appointments
Plan postpartum care, cancer follow-up, and any treatment restart.
Patient guidance
Birth & recovery
You deserve support with uncertainty
Worry about cancer returning or about pregnancy is understandable.
“I’m glad to be here.
I’m also worried about what comes next.”
01
Talk about the worry
Ask your team about counseling or a survivor support group.
02
Share the practical work
A trusted person may help with visits, questions, and planning.
Emotional support
Your take-home plan
Remember three steps: share, plan, stay connected
Small, clear steps make the plan easier to follow.
- 01Share your treatment history
- 02Make your personal care plan
- 03Keep both teams connected
Take-home messages
Your take-home plan
Questions to Ask Your MFM Specialist
Bring these questions to your next visit.
- How does my past treatment affect this pregnancy?
- Do I need a heart check or other tests?
- Which medicines need a pregnancy plan?
- Will I need extra scans or visits?
- How will birth, feeding, and cancer follow-up fit together?
- Whom should I call with concerns?
Appointment checklist
Keep learning
Trusted sources can help you continue the conversation
Guidance informs care. It cannot predict one person’s outcome.
Evidence checked September 14, 2026. Survivor guidance and active-cancer guidance apply to different situations.
References
Your next step
This guide supports your personal care plan
If you are already pregnant, arrange a prompt review of your treatment history and medicines.
Bring your questions. Make the plan together.
General education does not replace your clinicians’ advice, a diagnosis, or an individual treatment plan. Seek urgent care for emergency symptoms.
Privacy: This deck includes no patient information and does not collect health information. It contains no third-party analytics.
Education & privacy