If my partner gets pregnant after treatment, could we pass cancer on to our child?
Related Questions
- What is the difference between spontaneous vs. familial cancer genes such as BRCA?
- Does my partner even have time to undergo fertility treatment?
- What is the process of starting a family once treatment has been completed?
- What is the risk that cancer can be transmitted to unborn children through frozen eggs or embryos?
- Is pregnancy safe after chemotherapy?
- What if we decide to do nothing to preserve my partner's fertility before treatment?
The possibility of passing cancer onto your child may be worrisome, and perhaps no one has directly addressed your concerns.
It is important to realize that most types of cancers occur spontaneously; that is, they are not inherited but are caused by genetic mutations that occur within each individual.
In a small percentage of cancer cases, a gene mutation associated with the cancer can be passed on to the next generation. The best example of this is a woman who has mutations in the BRCA gene that increase her risk of developing breast cancer.
If you know that you or your partner has a gene associated with cancer that can be passed on to your children, make sure that the oncologist and fertility specialist knows about it. If you or your partner eventually undergo IVF, it may be possible to select embryos for freezing that do not carry the gene.