According to two international studies presented at the ESMO Congress 2024, women who breastfeed after receiving treatment for breast cancer, including those with a germline BRCA mutation (an inherited change in BRCA genes that significantly increases the risk of developing certain cancers, especially breast cancer), do not face an increased risk of recurrence or developing new breast cancers. "Our study provides the first evidence on the safety of breastfeeding after breast cancer in young women carrying a germline BRCA mutation," said Dr. Eva Blondeaux, Oncologist, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy, who will present one of the studies.
"This indicates the possibility for these women to achieve a balance between the needs of the mother and those of the baby." Given the hormone-driven nature of breast cancer, there were previously concerns about pregnancy and breastfeeding after the disease, as both involve changes in hormone levels. This was particularly true for women with the BRCA mutation, who remain at high risk of developing a second breast cancer in the other breast.
While recent studies showed that neither assisted reproduction treatments nor pregnancy are associated with increased risk of recurrence or new cases of breast cancers, including in women carrying a germline BRCA mutation, until now very little evidence was available on the feasibility and safety of breastfeeding in these women. I hope these new findings will improve the way we counsel .