Will I still be able to have children after I finish chemo?

Many women develop breast cancer at an early age; some before they have even had the chance to consider whether or not they want children.

Some breast cancer treatments can cause temporary infertility or reduce your chances of getting pregnant after treatment ends. Other treatments may cause permanent infertility by inducing irreversible menopause.

While treating breast cancer effectively is of course the most important outcome, it may not have to be at the expense of your fertility. Many women complete treatment and go on to have a healthy baby. Talk to your doctor about your fertility options before starting chemo or having surgery. It may be possible to bank fertilized eggs in case you are unable to produce eggs later. Other fertility options post-chemo include egg donation, embryo donation, and surrogacy.