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May 2023 | Authored by: George M. Pikler, M.D., Ph.D., FACP

Interrupting Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy to Attempt Pregnancy in Breast Cancer Survivors

Having children remains a high priority for many young breast cancer survivors. Some of them would chose to become pregnant after a breast cancer diagnosis. The POSITIVE (Pregnancy Outcome and Safety of Interrupting Therapy for Women with Endocrine Responsive Breast Cancer) trial (1) was designed to address the safety of a temporary break in endocrine therapy in young women with hormone receptor–positive early breast cancer who wish to become pregnant. The trial data showed that during a median of 3.4 years of follow-up, interruption of adjuvant endocrine therapy for up to 2 years to attempt pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of recurrence or of contralateral breast cancer in the subsequent 3 years. Physicians should now incorporate these positive data into their shared decision-making process with patients. A longer-term follow-up will be necessary to determine the safety of interrupting endocrine therapy.
(1) N Engl J Med 2023; 388: 1645-1656
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Erica

Erica Cross, PA

PA

Erica is a board certified Physician Assistant. She obtained her Master’s degree in Physician Assistant studies from Our Lady of the Lake College in Baton Rouge, LA. She began practicing in 2011 and has worked clinically in Orthopedics and Dermatology. The majority of her career has been spent in a Dermatology practice where she assisted in Mohs surgery, treating various types of skin cancer. She also teaches in the medical simulation department at the University of South Alabama and enjoys every aspect of medical education.