The Basics
What is Gemcitabine?
Chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of types of cancer, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and bladder cancer.
Brand names for Gemcitabine
N/A
How Gemcitabine is classified
Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic Agents, Enzyme Inhibitors, Immunosuppressive Agents
Gemcitabine During Pregnancy
Gemcitabine pregnancy category
Category N/ANote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.
What we know about taking Gemcitabine while pregnant
N/A
Taking Gemcitabine While Breastfeeding
What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Gemcitabine?
Most sources consider breastfeeding to be contraindicated during maternal antineoplastic drug therapy. It might be possible to breastfeed safely during intermittent gemcitabine therapy with an appropriate period of breastfeeding abstinence; the manufacturer recommends an abstinence period of at least 1 week after the last dose. Chemotherapy may adversely affect the normal microbiome and chemical makeup of breastmilk.[1] Women who receive chemotherapy during pregnancy are more likely to have difficulty nursing their infant.[2]
Maternal / infant drug levels
Most sources consider breastfeeding to be contraindicated during maternal antineoplastic drug therapy. It might be possible to breastfeed safely during intermittent gemcitabine therapy with an appropriate period of breastfeeding abstinence; the manufacturer recommends an abstinence period of at least 1 week after the last dose. Chemotherapy may adversely affect the normal microbiome and chemical makeup of breastmilk.[1] Women who receive chemotherapy during pregnancy are more likely to have difficulty nursing their infant.[2]
Possible effects of Gemcitabine on milk supply
A telephone follow-up study was conducted on 74 women who received cancer chemotherapy at one center during the second or third trimester of pregnancy to determine if they were successful at breastfeeding postpartum. Only 34% of the women were able to exclusively breastfeed their infants, and 66% of the women reported experiencing breastfeeding difficulties. This was in comparison to a 91% breastfeeding success rate in 22 other mothers diagnosed during pregnancy, but not treated with chemotherapy. Other statistically significant correlations included: 1. mothers with breastfeeding difficulties had an average of 5.5 cycles of chemotherapy compared with 3.8 cycles among mothers who had no difficulties; and 2. mothers with breastfeeding difficulties received their first cycle of chemotherapy on average 3.4 weeks earlier in pregnancy. Of the 9 women who received a fluorouracil-containing regimen, 8 had breastfeeding difficulties.[2]
Possible alternatives to Gemcitabine
None listed
List of References
Lactation sources: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2006-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/1. Urbaniak C, McMillan A, Angelini M et al. Effect of chemotherapy on the microbiota and metabolome of human milk, a case report. Microbiome. 2014;2:24. PMID: 25061513
2. Stopenski S, Aslam A, Zhang X et al. After chemotherapy treatment for maternal cancer during pregnancy, is breastfeeding possible? Breastfeed Med. 2017;12:91-7. PMID: 28170295
Disclaimer: This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your healthcare provider with any questions.
