You At Your Best

SATURDAY, SepTembeR 30, 2017 | OcTObeR - WOmen'S HeAlTH nWADg.cOm/YOUATYOURbeST | YOU AT YOUR beST | 13 "Somebody on tamoxifen would have to delay fertility treatment until all of the tamoxifen was out of their system," noted Dr. Prough. "It is usually a two month process to freeze eggs. Unfortunately, many cancer patients are unaware of this and will try to do so immediately prior to their cancer treatment. Advance time to prepare is necessary and it is important to contact one of our specialists early on." Waiting game According to the American Cancer Society, some doctors advise breast cancer survivors to wait at least two years after fi nishing treatment before they try to get pregnant. No research yet indicates that getting pregnant will make women more susceptible to the cancer coming back, nor will pregnancy increase the risks of birth defects or other long-term health concerns in children born to women who have had breast cancer. Breastfeeding after cancer Depending on the type of breast cancer treatment they receive, many women are still able to breastfeed. However, if radiation or surgery has affected breast health, milk production may be affected and the baby may have diffi culty latching on. Using a breast pump to express milk may be an option. However, commercially produced infant formulas also can provide the nutrition growing babies need. Choosing to have children after breast cancer is a personal decision. Thanks to medical advancements, the possibility to conceive and raise a family is strong. Tulsa Fertility Center can help women who are anticipating undergoing cancer treatment, prepare for their fertility needs by freezing eggs or freezing embryos, if they are married. The center can also help with donor egg and embryo pregnancy procedures. For more information, contact (918) 359- 2229, or visit their website at tulsafertilitycenter.com. Tulsa Fertility Center is located at 115 E. 15th St., in Tulsa, Okla. Did you know? While certain breast cancer risk factors, including gender and age, are beyond women's control, the American Cancer Society notes that certain factors are related to personal behaviors. Alcohol consumption is one such lifestyle- related risk factor for breast cancer. Compared with nondrinkers, women who consume between two and fi ve alcoholic drinks per day have about a 1.5 times greater risk of developing breast cancer than women who abstain from alcohol. A woman's risk of developing breast cancer increases only slightly compared to nondrinkers if she has just one alcoholic beverage per day. Weight is another breast cancer risk factor that women can control. Women who are overweight or obese have a greater risk of developing breast cancer than those who are not. Prior to menopause, womens' ovaries make most of their estrogen, with fat tissue making just a small amount. But womens' ovaries stop making estrogen when they enter menopause, at which time fat tissue produces most of their estrogen. Having excessive fat tissue can increase estrogen levels and raise a woman's risk for breast cancer. If or when a woman decides to have children can also affect her risk for breast cancer. According to the ACS, women who have not had children or who had their fi rst child after turning 30 have a slightly higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer than women who had many pregnancies and became pregnant at an early age.

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