A study published today in the NEJM examines the risk of relapse in breast cancer patients who decide to pause endocrine therapy to try to become pregnant. The results show that temporarily stopping treatment does not confer an increased risk in the long term, but the authors warn of the need for further follow-up.
Miguel Martín - cáncer embarazadas
Miguel Martín
Head of the Medical Oncology Department of the Gregorio Marañón Hospital and president of GEICAM
The study has a pre-established statistical plan of good quality and the researchers are leading figures in the field of breast cancer.
It was already known that pregnancy did not worsen the prognosis of women with breast cancer. Many oncologists also discussed with patients the possibility of temporarily interrupting endocrine therapy to allow a much-desired pregnancy and did so, but now there is prospective evidence to support that option thanks to the study.
As the authors themselves describe, what the study shows for the moment is that in the medium term (3-4 years) there is no increase in breast cancer relapses from transiently stopping endocrine therapy compared to a similar cohort without discontinuation, but they caution that further follow-up is needed to draw longer-term conclusions.
This study gives reassurance to physicians and patients who have previously decided to discontinue endocrine therapy (after at least two years of therapy) to allow pregnancy.
- Research article
- Peer reviewed
- People
Partridge et al.
- Research article
- Peer reviewed
- People
