2023-07-07 11:21:49
Study Finds Temporary Interruption of Endocrine Therapy for Pregnancy Desire Does Not Increase Short-Term Breast Cancer Risk
A recent study has shown that a temporary interruption of endocrine therapy in selected women with a history of early hormone receptor-positive breast cancer does not increase the risk of short-term breast cancer events. The study, called the POSITIVE study, aimed to assess the safety of interrupting adjuvant endocrine therapy in young women who wished to conceive after breast cancer treatment.
The participants in the study were eligible if they were 42 years old or younger, had stage I, II, or III breast cancer, had received adjuvant endocrine therapy for 18 to 30 months, and expressed a desire to have a pregnancy. The primary endpoint of the study was the number of breast cancer events during follow-up, including ipsilateral or locoregional invasive disease, distant recurrence, or contralateral invasive breast cancer. The outcomes of the interruption group were compared to those in an external control cohort.
The study included a total of 516 participants, with a median age of 37 years. The median time from breast cancer diagnosis to inclusion in the study was 29 months, and the majority of participants (93.4%) had stage I or II disease. Out of the 497 women whose pregnancy status was followed, 74.0% had at least one pregnancy, and 63.8% had at least one live birth. In total, 365 babies were born during the study.
After a median follow-up of 41 months, which amounted to 1,638 patient-years of follow-up, 44 patients had a breast cancer event. Importantly, this number did not exceed the safety threshold of 46 events. The 3-year incidence of breast cancer events was 8.9% in the interruption group and 9.2% in the control cohort.
The findings of the study provide reassurance to women with a history of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who wish to conceive. Temporary interruption of endocrine therapy for the purpose of pregnancy does not appear to significantly increase the short-term risk of breast cancer. Nonetheless, the researchers emphasize the need for further follow-up to investigate the longer-term safety of such interruptions.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, sheds light on an important aspect of breast cancer treatment and fertility preservation. It offers hope to young women who have battled breast cancer and want to start a family, showing that they can pursue their dreams of motherhood without compromising their health.]
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