Hey Rebecca, I've actually been doing some online research regarding Gleevec and pregnancy, i.e. mortality rates, miscarriage, birth defects, staying on the medication vs. going off for the 9 months, before conception etc... Here are some articles I found that are worth a read.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/Leukemia/8640 http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/24/7/1204.full http://www.haematologica.org/cgi/content/full/92/1/e9 http://www.nature.com/leu/journal/v16/n6/full/2402494a.html Honestly, If you're considering physically having a child I would suggest getting in touch with Dr. Druker or Dr. Mauro. They're at OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University) and they've walked several patients through this decision/experience... most notably Erin Z. Ruddy who wrote for Glamour Magazine about her CML/Pregnancy journey (there are a lot of articles on her if you do a Google search) . I went to see Dr. Druker about 2 years ago and asked him this question. He told me to wait until I was solidly PCRU to even consider it (I think Erin had been PCRU for several years before her first child, and that helped her not relapse during the pregnancy)... but that several women have done this, many are fine, they test their blood monthly, and do interventions with different medications during the pregnancy if necessary, then go back on the Gleevec after they give birth. Some don't have the same good results with Gleevec that they had before, some do. If you loose PCRU during the pregnancy it takes awhile to gain it back, if you gain it back at all (the average for people that did gain it back was18 months according to one article). If you don't loose PCRU (such as the case with Erin Ruddy) she had the baby, did not breast feed, and started back up on Gleevec right after the birth. Since the results are mixed it's just important you make sure you know what the risks are and weigh them out. Many docs are absolutely against going off Gleevec for any reason, my local doc being one of them. Which is a perfectly understandable position because their main concern is our health and keeping us PCRU. However, If your doctor strongly feels that way, it's important that you find a doctor who will help you sort through the decision openly, so you can have a real down to earth conversation about it. Personally I think consulting a doctor who has gone through the situation before is a plus. This is a really contentious topic in the medical community and beyond. Many people believe if you have CML you shouldn't consider giving birth because it's selfish to risk your life and possibly leave a child without a mother, others will be supportive. It runs the gamut, and negativity will pop up where you least expect it. So just be prepared for people's reactions, and really take the time to discuss your case specifically with a doctor who is open to the idea. It's not an easy decision either way. I wish you the best of luck in whatever decision you make :) -- [CMLHope] A support group of http://cmlhope.com ------------------------------------------------- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CMLHope" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/CMLHope
