Cervical Cancer, Pregnancy and Fertility Preservation
1142
post-template-default,single,single-post,postid-1142,single-format-standard,bridge-core-3.1.4,qode-page-transition-enabled,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,boxed,,qode-child-theme-ver-1.0.0,qode-theme-ver-30.3,qode-theme-bridge,disabled_footer_top,qode_header_in_grid,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-7.5,vc_responsive

Cervical Cancer, Pregnancy and Fertility Preservation

04 Jan Cervical Cancer, Pregnancy and Fertility Preservation

Posted at 11:17h in Fertility, Pregnancy by

95% of Cervical Cancers are caused by HPV (Human Papillomavirus) mainly contracted through sex.³

What is Cervical Cancer?

Talking about cervical cancer can be scary. It’s a disease that affects women in childbearing age, which means very young to middle aged women. 95% of cervical cancer is caused by HPV (Human Papillomavirus), which is spread mainly through sexual intercourse.³ 

Most women with healthy immune systems fight off the infection, but as we age, the immune system is not as robust. If you have other health problems, your immune system might not be strong enough to fight off HPV. HPV cancer cells are able to reproduce, often in the cervix.

Aside from abstinence, one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of cervical cancer is to get the HPV vaccine, which protects against 70%-90% of HPV strains, depending on which vaccine you get.³

Will Your Ability To Become Pregnant Be Affected by Cervical Cancer?

Your fertility is your ability to conceive and carry the fetus through pregnancy to birth. Your ability to conceive and carry a pregnancy depends on a few factors: when and how often you’re having sex, hormone levels, and how your reproductive organs are working.

Cervical cancer (or any cancer in the pelvis) can impact fertility if a tumor is damaging a reproductive organ or surrounding tissue. Oftentimes, cancer treatment can damage nerves, eggs, and make reproductive organs stop working. Treatment can also change hormone levels or put a woman into menopause, years before this would normally happen. Sometimes, treatment involves surgery, which may mean the removal of the uterus, cervix and/or ovaries.

After cancer treatment ends, some women’s fertility returns. But, this depends on many factors:

  • baseline fertility prior to cancer treatment
  • age at time of treatment
  • type of cancer and type of treatment
  • amount (dose) of treatment
  • length of treatment
  • amount of time passed since treatment.²

How Can You Preserve Fertility Before Cancer Treatment?

If you’ve been diagnosed with cervical cancer and you know you want to have children in the future, you’ll need to discuss your options for preserving your fertility with your oncologist. You may even ask for a referral to a reproductive specialist. Not all clinicians may ask about your family plans with a new cancer diagnosis, so it’s important to have the conversation early, before treatment has begun.

The good news is that you have many options to choose from:

  • Cryopreservation (freezing of fertilized embryos, just your eggs “egg banking” or ovaries – the latter to be transplanted back into the pelvis after treatment)
  • Ovarian transposition (surgically moving the ovaries away from the target zone of radiation)
  • Fertility Sparing Surgery (removing the cervix and preserving the uterus and ovaries)
  • Ovarian Suppression (using hormones to cause menopause and “shut down” the ovaries during cancer treatment; to protect them from the damaging effects of chemotherapy and radiation)
  • Waiting 6 months to 2 years after cancer treatment to try to conceive. Your oncologist can provide a best estimate depending on your type of cancer and treatment plan.¹

A cervical cancer diagnosis can be scary. But, early detection and treatment can cure it. Many women go on to have families after a cervical cancer diagnosis. Be sure to communicate with your medical team, early on, that you’d like to preserve your fertility so a treatment plan can be developed that is right for your personalized needs and wishes. Visit Mommyato for additional information on maintaining your health..

REFERENCES:

  1. American Cancer Society. February 2020. Preserving fertility in females with cancer. https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/fertility-and-sexual-side-effects/fertility-and-women-with-cancer/preserving-fertility-in-women.html#:~:text=Cryopreservation%20
  2. National Cancer Institute. February 2020. Fertility issues in girls and women with cancer. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/fertility-women
  3. World Health Organization (WHO). February 2022. Cervical cancer. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer
Tags:
Print page
0 Likes
JessicaB
[email protected]