Cancer

While cancer itself is not contraindicated for breastfeeding, the use of chemotherapy, radiation with radioactive isotopes1 2, and certain cancer-related drugs are.3

A 2014 case report on the effect of chemotherapy on the microbiota and metabolome of human milk found that chemotherapy caused a significant deviation from a healthy microbial and metabolomic profile.4

It is advised to speak to a healthcare provider about concerns regarding breastfeeding while undergoing cancer treatment, donating грудне молоко after cancer treatment, and receiving milk from a former cancer patient. Many will pump during treatment and discard the milk so that breastfeeding can continue after treatment is completed.

General Information on Medication

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  1. MotherToBaby Fact Sheet. Chemotherapy ↩︎
  2. Mohrbacher, N. The Breastfeeding Answer Book, 3rd Revised Edition. La Leche League International. Schaumburg, Illinois: 2004 ↩︎
  3. NIH National Cancer Institute – A to Z list of Cancer Drugs ↩︎
  4. Camilla Urbaniak, та ін. 2014. Effect of chemotherapy on the microbiota and metabolome of human milk, a case report ↩︎