Contributions
Abstract: PB2008
Type: Publication Only
Background
As the number of survivors of young female Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) increases, it is becoming more common to manage the pregnancies of women who have a history of exposure to chemotherapies and radiation therapy. Little is known about the success rate of women attempting pregnancy. Many patients and clinicians are worried that pregnancy after the diagnosis of HL may increase the risk of relapse, despite a lack of empirical evidence to support such concerns
Aims
In the present study we included 61 women who received a diagnosis of HL between 2007 and 2014 and who were younger than 40 years of age and were in complete remission and alive without relapse > or = 3 years after treatment.
Methods
Of these patients, 45 (74%) patients had had stage I-II, 16 (26%) patients stage III-IV; 18 (30%) patients suffered from constitutional symptoms; 35 patients (57 %) had bulky disease and 12 (20%) had extranodal involvement. Before treatment, 58 (95%) patients reported a regular menstrual cycle. We determined the pregnancy rate, and time-to-pregnancy among survivors who had become pregnant, or tried to become pregnant for over 2 months following chemotherapy.
Results
Among the 61 women with HL, 29 (48%) were nulliparous throughout follow-up, 25 (41%) were parous but had no pregnancies during follow-up, and 7 (11%) had a pregnancy during follow-up. After a median follow-up of 5 years, 11 (18%) women had reached menopause before the age of 40 years (range: 19-39 years; median: 33.5 years). A regular menstrual cycle was reported by more than 90% of female survivors of early-stage HL (recovery time mostly 12 months). Ten tried to become pregnant; 3 without success; 7 women became pregnant with the birth of 6 healthy children. The median time-to-pregnancy among HL survivors was 2.0 months. The 12-month pregnancy rate was 70%. The median time from the end of the therapy to pregnancy was 40 months. No recurrence occurred. In one case, 3 months after the birth of the child acute myeloid leukemia occurred, and the patient died.
Conclusion
We found no evidence of significant impairment of the fertility of female HL long term survivors We found no evidence that a pregnancy after diagnosis increases the relapse rate among women whose HL is in remission. Survivors of HL need to consider a range of factors when deciding about future reproduction.
Session topic: 17. Hodgkin lymphoma – Clinical
Abstract: PB2008
Type: Publication Only
Background
As the number of survivors of young female Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) increases, it is becoming more common to manage the pregnancies of women who have a history of exposure to chemotherapies and radiation therapy. Little is known about the success rate of women attempting pregnancy. Many patients and clinicians are worried that pregnancy after the diagnosis of HL may increase the risk of relapse, despite a lack of empirical evidence to support such concerns
Aims
In the present study we included 61 women who received a diagnosis of HL between 2007 and 2014 and who were younger than 40 years of age and were in complete remission and alive without relapse > or = 3 years after treatment.
Methods
Of these patients, 45 (74%) patients had had stage I-II, 16 (26%) patients stage III-IV; 18 (30%) patients suffered from constitutional symptoms; 35 patients (57 %) had bulky disease and 12 (20%) had extranodal involvement. Before treatment, 58 (95%) patients reported a regular menstrual cycle. We determined the pregnancy rate, and time-to-pregnancy among survivors who had become pregnant, or tried to become pregnant for over 2 months following chemotherapy.
Results
Among the 61 women with HL, 29 (48%) were nulliparous throughout follow-up, 25 (41%) were parous but had no pregnancies during follow-up, and 7 (11%) had a pregnancy during follow-up. After a median follow-up of 5 years, 11 (18%) women had reached menopause before the age of 40 years (range: 19-39 years; median: 33.5 years). A regular menstrual cycle was reported by more than 90% of female survivors of early-stage HL (recovery time mostly 12 months). Ten tried to become pregnant; 3 without success; 7 women became pregnant with the birth of 6 healthy children. The median time-to-pregnancy among HL survivors was 2.0 months. The 12-month pregnancy rate was 70%. The median time from the end of the therapy to pregnancy was 40 months. No recurrence occurred. In one case, 3 months after the birth of the child acute myeloid leukemia occurred, and the patient died.
Conclusion
We found no evidence of significant impairment of the fertility of female HL long term survivors We found no evidence that a pregnancy after diagnosis increases the relapse rate among women whose HL is in remission. Survivors of HL need to consider a range of factors when deciding about future reproduction.
Session topic: 17. Hodgkin lymphoma – Clinical