Hello!
I'm about to start chemo for the first time on August 8th. I'm stage IIIB due to the size of my tumor (between 9-10cm) and 3 lymph nodes involved. To make this more interesting, I'm almost 12 weeks pregnant with my second child.
I'm starting with AC every three weeks (I cannot have a Neulasta dose because of the pg), and then I'm scheduled to start Taxol weekly with Keytruda every 3rd dose.
I'm not having a lot of success learning about the Keytruda, and what I do know seems pretty damning in terms of the pregnancy. Does anyone have different information about Keytruda past this website?
Pregnancy
There are no data on the use of pembrolizumab in pregnant women. Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with pembrolizumab; however, in murine models of pregnancy blockade of PD-L1 signaling has been shown to disrupt tolerance to the foetus and to result in an increased foetal loss (see section 5.3). These results indicate a potential risk, based on its mechanism of action, that administration of pembrolizumab during pregnancy could cause foetal harm, including increased rates of abortion or stillbirth. Human immunoglobulins G4 (IgG4) are known to cross the placental barrier; therefore, being an IgG4, pembrolizumab has the potential to be transmitted from the mother to the developing foetus. Pembrolizumab should not be used during pregnancy unless the clinical condition of the woman requires treatment with pembrolizumab.