Image: Travis Hugget for CNN.com
Writing for parenting.com, Erin Zammett Ruddy wrote an article1 today about her experiences of getting pregnant while being on Gleevac as a way to treat her chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Her first hand account really sums up many of the choices we've discussed from a clinician's point of view: is it ok to halt cancer treatment for the duration or remainder of a pregnancy? How do the patient and clinician come to the right decision on this topic? I think we will all be happy to read that Erin's team of doctors included endocrinologists, fertility specialists, and oncologists, and Erin herself says that her doctor's support was instrumental in her decision to continue her pregnancy. I highly encourage you to read Erin's story; it very nicely outlines many of the issues that the Oncofertility Consortium was designed to address.
1. Pregnant with cancer -- One woman's choice to put treatment on hold
