Hie i recently discovered that i am pregnant and i'm taking glivec.What are my chances of having a health baby
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Mothering a child with CML
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Hi,
Do you plant to go ahead with you pregnancy? If so has your doctor advised you to stop taking imatinib therapy? It is not advisable to continue as the risk to the baby is highest in the first trimester (3 months). This is why women who get pregnant whilst on TKi therapy need to be councelled about the risks involved. It is true that some women have gone on to have healthy babies but the risks of foetal abnormality caused by TKI therapies is very real.
Another factor to consider is your response to TKI therapy- do you have access to your PCR results? What has your doctor advised that you do? It is possible to treat your CML with alternatives until your baby is born- at which point you would resume therapy.
See the following link to the 2015 UK CML patient conference and download Dr. Graeme Smith's slide presentation on fertility and pregnancy - including risks
http://www.mpdmeetings.org/patient-conference-2015/#speaker_13132
Sandy
Hi there,
I am no expert on this particular topic, but if you are at all "sciencey" I would recommend reading this presentation by Prof Jane Apperley.
Apperley - CML & Pregnancy - CML Advocates Network
Slide 14 offers some advice as to how to manage stopping imatinib whilst pregnant, monitoring the disease and then what to do if your PCR rises - if you did decide to continue your pregnancy and you are in a good position (disease wise) to do that.
Have you spoken to your doctor? What did they say?
David.
That's great to hear. I know that in some cases where the mother-to-be's CML rises a little, pegylated interferon can be given to help control it while still pregnant. There are many options available to you.
Please keep us up-to-date with your progress. Your experiences over the coming months will be invaluable to others seeking similar information in future.
David.
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