Young women that receive a diagnosis of breast cancer are usually told to wait at least two years after treatment ends to try and conceive. This is because the longer the patient goes without a recurrence the better the chance that they will remain cancer free.

There are not many studies available to give physicians a good idea of how long women should wait to become pregnant after breast cancer. Is it safe? Some previous studies have suggested that becoming pregnant after breast cancer could provide a survival benefit.

Researchers from Western Australia wanted to investigate the effects of pregnancy after breast cancer. They looked at 123 women aged 15-44 who were diagnosed with breast cancer and had at least one pregnancy after their diagnoses.

There findings were as follows:

• Sixty two women, 50 percent, conceived within two years of their diagnoses.
• Twenty seven of these women gave birth.
• Women who became pregnant had improved overall survival compared with those who didn't.
• The protective effect was seen in women who waited at least six months to become pregnant.
• The protective effect was stronger in women who waited two years after treatment.

The authors of the study say that their evidence does not support the current medical advice given to premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer to wait two years before attempting to conceive. They also said this recommendation was for women with early stage disease. They concluded that early conception after completion of treatment is unlikely to adversely affect their survival.

Eugenia Calle, PhD, of the American Cancer Society believes that this study is too small for these researchers to claim to have answered the question about pregnancy and breast cancer. She says "I don't think that anyone believes that pregnancy, with its huge surge in hormones, will be in any way protective against breast cancer."

For women who are thinking of becoming pregnant after a diagnosis of breast cancer, talk to your doctor about the risks. I agree that the study seems too small to come up with any definite conclusions.