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Can I get married...and can I have a kids...

Hi

I m shama from India. I m diagnosed with Cml in 2012. Now, its been 6 years...I m taking imatinib 400mg/day.
I m getting married very soon. Just wanted to know that can I have kids in future?? Because my future husband wants at least a baby in our future life. I m so worried about it...please guide me.

Hi Shama,

Congratulations on your wedding!

Don’t let any doctor tell you it is impossible for a woman have a child because they have CML. That’s not always true although sometimes it is. Some doctors who are old fashioned and not up on most recent developments sometimes say that.

Since you have been taking imatinib for 6 years, you are probably in a pretty good place to be able to have a baby. It’s concerning when someone is only a few months or a year into treatment and then is pregnant - that can be very difficult to manage.

Do you know your most recent PCR figure? If it was MR4 (0.01%) or below, or even if it is a bit higher than that you stand a very good chance. The usual process goes like this:

  • You stop taking imatinib, and wait a few weeks for it to “wash out” of your system, then start trying for a baby. Hopefully you can conceive quickly, though that is of course not a given.
  • Your bloods should be tested more frequently to monitor for any CML recurrence. At this point let’s imagine you become pregnant.
  • Your bloods continue to be tested more frequently while you are pregnant. Hopefully your BCR-Abl % remains low. If so, all good. If your BCR-Abl starts to rise, interferon can be given which will help control the CML for a while. It’s safe for the baby.
  • Once you deliver your baby, you then re-start imatinib. But if your BCR-Abl has not risen throughout your pregnancy when you were not taking imatinib, you might decide not to start taking it again and see if you can remain in treatment free remission.

The most important thing in all of this is the result of your most recent PCR test to measure your BCR-Abl. Do you know most recent results?

David.

You can and you will and they’ll drive you crazy.
A good kind of crazy.
You will regret it and then you won’t.
When you get the grand kids, you get the revenge.
A good kind of revenge

good luck and god bless.

romo

Thank you so much David for your warm wishes. I am really happy to see your reply. I was totally faded up for all of these tension...now I am feeling relaxed somehow.
David I didn't tested PCR recently. Should I go for that...?

Thanks romo.... Thanks a lot... 😊

Definitely. It's very important to know your PCR figure before trying for a baby as it would really determine how it would all be managed. 

Wishing you the very best of luck! Babies and CML can be complicated but all worth it. If you search this web site (use the search box at the top) you'll find leads of people who've successfully had healthy babies!

Also, and you probably already know this, but it's not possible to pass on CML to a baby. 

David. 

Thank you so much for your support. I will definitely go for PCR testing & will let you share my report very soon.