Hi everyone!

I'm happy to say that my mouth is steadily improving- my first scans post rads (ended 12/27 are not until May 31.

I'm really interested in how many posts I am reading about woman who are diagnosed during pregnancy or just afterward. I was late to the game with starting a family- but had suspicious precancerous cells on my tongue for years.

Can you chime in so that we can get a collective of how many of us were diagnosed during or soon after pregnancy? Was anyone artificially stimulated with hormones?

My doctors seem fairly confident that it is fine for me to get pregnant again. We did IVF before treatment so that we could have frozen embryos, but I am now very nervous about what sounds like a real correlation between this cancer & hormones.

Thanks!
Sally

Congrats!!!!!

I have not seen any studies mentioned on here relating oral cancer and pregnancy.

If you mean for being healthy- thank you!! But if you misunderstood that I am pregnant- I am not... Just thinking about the future & looking to make a well-informed decision before we proceed- would not be until at least a full year clean.
Thanks though- you are sweet!!

I know of at least on person who was pregnant during her diabpgnosis - walknite - Angelia - she may chime in but i don't think she did IVF - no one can say for sure but since this cancer hits men an women a like (young men 20 ish) and young women who have no precursors, I'm thinking it's not hormone related. Hugs

Hi, Sallyanne.

I was diagnosed and treated for tongue cancer (non-HPV) in the middle of my pregnancy. I had no risk factors. Read my signature. I have since "met" several women through my surgeon's office, facebook, and OCF that with the very same picture.

I did have IVF to have my second child (one cycle), but I am the only one I know of in the group. I started having symptoms about 8 weeks into my pregnancy.

If you want to know my opinion, I am convinced that there is a connection for some women. Right now, doctors and scientist just don't have enough information or large enough cohort to conduct a well-designed study. I am confident that in the future, something will be determined. There are certain cancers that are hormone-sensitive.

When I asked my surgical oncologist about the possibility of having a recurrence if I were to get pregnant again, he told me that he tells his patients to go on living life and that he doesn't advise his patients to avoid hormonal therapy, such as IVF or HRT when the time comes. I don't feel comfortable taking any hormones right now and I can't foresee myself doing so in the future. That's just me trusting my gut...nothing more. If I was younger and I didn't have tough pregnancies...and we had more money, I don't think I would hesitate to have another baby, though....via IVF, I'm not so sure.

There are a lot of unknowns. I'm just so happy to hear that there are other women out there that can relate to this special situation.

BTW, my surgical oncologist has a handful of women who have been diagnosed and treated while pregnant. He said that they all have tended to do very well. Two of them went on to have more children. He said that one is 10 years out and another is 7 years out...off the top of his head. So, this is great news!

Nice meeting you, sorry it had to be here!

:)Kerri

I remember when Angelia joined, I dont think she was pregnant at that time. Angelia is expecting now.

I think Elizabeth was pregnant with her 3rd child when she went thru it.

I know that hormones are more connected to breast and ovarian uterine etc cancers. At lest that is what I have read/heard.

I had to do IVF too to freee embryos. I have just started trying again naturally. Had 2 miscarriages but am trying once more befor eI do the embryos.

When you get the embryos transferred in do they give you hormones at that point too? Is it as intense as when they do the embryo extraction phase?

I hear you with being worried about the connection between the two.
Definitely scary and I do believe there is some sort of connection.
My Drs. didn't want me to try until I was later into NED because my cancer was very aggressive.

I believe that the creation of eggs Is the most intense part of the IVF treatment- which means, in our case, that I have already been through I. But, in order to implant, they will need to manipulate a cycle which requires some (lesser) amount of artificial hormones.

Good luck to you Kate!! I'm sure it will all work out- you deserve it!!

Thanks for sharing Kerri & everyone.... So interesting!

Keep well,
Sally

My daughter was four months old when I was diagnosed. I had suspicious cells for 10 years but it did not develop into cancer until I was pregnant. I wish there was more research on this.

I had to take prednisone by intramuscular injection until I was through my first trimester. That is longer than most, but my doctor was very cautious. I think at some point, I switched to suppositories. As I understand it, cancers that are hormone-sensitive are usually sensitive to estrogen compounds, but I'm not entirely sure.

I don't necessarily think the IVF is what may have played a part if hormones did at all...but I feel that they did in my gut. For example, if I had "the perfect storm" of things happening, such as genetic predisposition, recurrent trauma to the tongue, then add the hormones into the picture...who knows, but I hope we do know some day. Obviously, of all the women I know that were diagnosed and treated perinatally, I was the only one that I know of that had IVF and it was only one cycle. I know several women who have undergone several cycles. Plus, the meds they give depend on what is causing the infertility. In my case, I was ovulating fine, but I had a blocked tube its entrance due to left over tissue after my first pregnancy.

Thanks Sally Anne,

Starting accupuncture first- if it doesn't happen by end of summer then I'm moving on to the eggs. Here is to the summer of love

KATE

My gut is that my pregnancies advanced my cancer, don't know why, just a feeling.

I have 3 daughters, the first two are 21 months apart and the 2nd two are 27 months apart. It was after having my 2nd I started noticing having subtle symptoms of fatigue and occasional ear pain. When I was pregnant with #3 I had a lot of "flare ups" yet all the while under the care of my pcp, ob/gyn and seeing the dentists every few months because I getting dental work done. I was either pregnant or nursing from 2004 til the day i was diagnosed. Oh and my first 2 were clomid babies, the 3rd one was a pleasant surprise!

I asked the dr why was I so advanced for having hardly any real noticeable symtpoms

Ugh...push the wrong key.....

The dr said the cancer could have progressed really quickly due to all the hormones but suspected I must have had cancer after having my 2nd child.

I secretly would love the idea of having another little one however I was told chances are I wouldn't be able to plus I had an IUD put in place once I was diagnosed not knowing that the drs would put me on chemo that had a high possibility of making me sterile. It would be a miracle baby if I were to get pregnant though!

Kate - hope you have fun making that baby, can't wait to say congrats on your bundle of joy!

Kate,

I wish you all the best in your journey into motherhood again! Who knew when we were younger that getting pregnant would/could be so technical for some of us.

Please keep us posted. I've got all of my fingers, toes, and eyelashes crossed for you!

xo,
Kerri

Good Luke to both of you! Misskate and sallyanne!

oh thank you! Well despite all the chemo I'm not having fertility probs just miscarriages.- yay. Which at 39 is probably to be expected. Chemo doesn't actually sterilize you but can bring on early menopause and there is a 50% chance of that happening.
So I got lucky. That is what my fertility doc said anyway. Well come September if I'm not having luck tapping into my freezer supply.
Everything looks good though for trying au naturalle.

Thanks so much for the well wishes and happy baby thoughts.
Sure would be nice to have a non dramatic health situation in that department!
XOXOX K

Kate,
Good luck to you!! I think that you are very smart with your plan. I look forward to a triumphant new mommy post!!
Have fun this summer!! Thinking all good thoughts for you!!
Sally

Your dr is right, chemo can cause you to go in early menopause but depending on the chemo name, dose and length such as platinum based chemos, it can cause sterility as well. Being an oncology nurse I was very aware of what I was facing, I had two different types of platinum based chemos during my treatment and was asked beforehand if we wanted to do anything before treatment began to preserve eggs for future children. I just had my little one and my mind set was on trying to live so I said no! Lol. That's okay, I'm thankful for what I have and if it's meant to happen then it will.

I pray you are able to hold on to the next little bean and that it attaches and grows to be a beautiful little baby for you to hold onto. Wishing you all the positive baby vibes!!!!

Me too... good luck... I am not sure if angelia has had chemo... but she's a survivor and pregnant with her third.

I'm just looking back to my earlier post and I meant to say "progesterone" injections, not prednisone! omg!

Thanks ladies You guys are so sweet. Its such a bummer that I've had to wait so long. I haven't felt that deep sadness until this year.

I didn't feel comfortable getting pregnant when I was getting scans every 6 months and then it was just not a good time being inbetween jobs and insurance plans - then 2 miscarriages and so here I am at 39.

Interesting about the sterility cause from other chemos. Yes the Doc meant that is what cisplatin can do- which is the one I had.

Well nothing yet 2 more months till I break into that embryo freezer. Not waiting much longer. Till then doing accupuncture and chinese herbs. Drinking some now and pretending that they are absolutely delicious hehe..

Elizabeth- do you think chemo can mess up the eggs that we have?

Hi Kate,
You have been through so much. Stay positive on this baby journey. Praying for your dreams to come true.
I'm sure those herbs are just delicious.
Tammy