Is Having Children Possible After Chemo Treatments?

Updated on December 09, 2010
T.M. asks from Trumbull, CT
6 answers

Hello,

I was wondering if there are any of you who have ever gone through Chemo treatments, who were able to have children after treatment. A friend of mine had non-hodgkins lymphoma about 11-12 years ago . . . and has always had in her mind that she wouldn't be able to have kids because of it. At the time of her treatments, a doctor told us that treatment may put her into premature menapause and in that case would not be able to conceive . . . but as long as her period started again after treatment . . . she shouldn't have a problem conceiving . . . unless, of course, there was some other fertility issue.

She's been divorced for several years, and will be 40 next year, so other than the usual reasons that people in their 40s may have trouble conceiving . . . I just wanted to give her some hope that it could be possible after Chemo if she wanted to try.

So if there is anyone out there who can share their story . . . I would really appreciate it.

Thank you.

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So What Happened?

Hello everyone,

Thank you for all of your positive responses. I've printed them out and I'm going to show my friend. Just to make her situation a little clearer . . . she's been divorced many years. She was diagnosed after her divorce, so she really hasn't tried getting pregnant at all. But she has lived with the notion that there was a slim to no chance of her ever getting pregnant, and she's accepted that. We were talking the other day and she brought that up. I told her that she can't go by what one doctor told her and that if she really wanted children to talk to a fertility specialist, especially now because she's going to be 40. She's in a new relationship now . . . so this isn't something she's thinking about for the moment . . . but I wanted to give her some hope by showing her that it is possible to conceive after chemo . . . of course there might be other fertility issues that may prevent someone from conceving . . . but just from the few responses I received here. It IS possible to conceive . . . and that's what I wanted her to see. So thank you to all of you for taking the time to respond to my question. I really appreciate it.

More Answers

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H.P.

answers from New York on

Hello T.!

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in December of 1996 at 21 years of age. I was treat until March of 1998 with a combination of Chemo, stem cell replacement therapy and radiation, I was told I would never conceive my own child and that egg donation or adoption would be my only option. When I was a year post treatment, I came off the Birth control pill, which my drs advised my to stay on during treament, and was pre menopausal...hot flashes, high fsh levels, no period... So I went back on the pill. In 2002 I got married, in 2003 came off the pill again to see what my body was up to. I started getting a period again and by November of 2004 conceived our first child. We now have two children ages 5 & 3. It IS possible!

H.

A.F.

answers from Miami on

Hi T. :-)

Your question does no have enough information in it. Is your friend the one asking, or you? I'm wondering because your friend is post chemo 12 years, and you mention just divorced for several years, so while married was she making any attempts to get pregnant?

With this desire, she would have been followed closely by all of her doctors and they would be able to measure her level of fertility. Some women go into "chemo-pause" but it depends on the kind of chemo they receive. Has your friend been having her periods?

hugs,
A. R.N., Energy Medicine Practitioner

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M.L.

answers from Houston on

My SIL has to have regular chemo treatments for something other than cancer. She was able to conceive during treatments and even continued her treatments during her pregnancy and while nursing. It might be different than someone who had to go through intensive treatments at once. But, she had been having treatments for like 10 years prior to conceiving, and had been told all along that she would have a hard time having a baby. She conceived within 3 months of first trying.

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I.G.

answers from Seattle on

It is absolutely possible - however, given her age and history I would probably suggest to her to work a fertility specialist right off the bat. No use wasting time at this stage.
Also one thing she can consider if her own ovaries have been damaged by the chemo is using donor eggs but carrying her child. While post-menopausal women can't produce eggs any longer, they can still get pregnant by IVF.

Good luck!

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R.R.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter was told that her chemo for non-hodgkin's lymphoma would make her sterile. She was in remission in June of 2007, and during routine follow up in June of 2008, it was discovered that she was pregnant. A nearly picture perfect pregnancy followed. Because of other health issues, she delivered him 6 weeks early at only 3 pounds, and he is now a very healthy almost 2 year old! She is only 25, but they did tie her tubes after he was born.

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A.F.

answers from St. Cloud on

Hi T.! One of my very closest friends had chemo, AND her tubes tied and then got pregnant at age 42! She didn't know she was pregnant until she was 6 months along and WOW! What a wonderful surprise!

You are a great friend to encourage your friend so much. Good luck to her! There is hope!

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