Fertility clinic - Institut Marquès
Becoming a mother after cancer (04/02/2016)
Over the past few years, the average age of people affected by cancer has decreased in developed countries (e.g. 2% of women under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with cancer).
Over the past few years, the average age of people affected by cancer has decreased in developed countries (e.g. 2% of women under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with cancer).
On the other hand, the chance of survival is higher (85% for people under the age of 50). In the case of young people, 1 in 250 will survive cancer.
Due to all these factors, the number of women who had cancer –while being in their reproductive life and planning to become mothers– has increased over the last few years.
Our scientific director, Dr Àlex Garcia-Faura, says that “many of these women will be able to have a child if they no longer have the disease and have finished the oncologic treatment, but their case will have to be assessed by a multidisciplinary team”.
Institut Marquès is an internationally renowned centre that has a Reproductive Board Unit for oncologic patients. This Board is formed by different experts who assess each case and decide the treatment and the right time to start.
Once the patient has survived cancer, the doctors will decide whether she can try to become pregnant naturally or if it would be better to undergo an assisted reproduction treatment. Some of the techniques would be: in vitro fertilization, IVF using Donor Eggs or Embryo Donation.