(HealthCentersOnline) - Chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma does not appear to reduce a woman's fertility after treatment, according to researchers in Canada.
Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors who received chemotherapy were as likely to become pregnant following treatment as women who did not have the disease. Among those attempting pregnancy, 70 percent of Hodgkin's survivors were successful within one year. This compared to a 75 percent pregnancy rate for women in the control group.
Hodgkin's lymphoma is a form of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system. The disease can occur in children and adults but is most common in early adulthood. It is estimated that 7,800 new cases of Hodgkin's will be diagnosed in the United States in 2006.
The current study examined the pregnancy rate among women who underwent standard chemotherapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma. The subjects had survived this form of cancer and had not experienced a recurrence for three years or longer.
Using a questionnaire, researchers determined the time-to-pregnancy rate among HL survivors who received chemotherapy and friend or sibling control subjects. In total, 36 Hodgkin's survivors and 29 female controls completed the survey.
Of the Hodgkin's patients, 50 percent received treatment for two to four cycles, 44 percent received four to six cycles and 6 percent received more than six cycles of the chemo. This chemotherapy drug regimen has an infrequent association with a premature absence of menstruation.
The median time-to-pregnancy among both Hodgkin's survivors and the control subjects was two months. The 12-month pregnancy rate between the two groups did not vary significantly.
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The woman's age at treatment and the number of chemotherapy cycles did not affect the pregnancy rate among HL survivors. The study was published in the latest issue of Hematological Oncology.
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