Is Cetuximab safe while breastfeeding?

Here is what LactMed, the Drugs and Lactation Database published by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reports about Cetuximab. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.

Summary of use during breastfeeding

No information is available on the clinical use of cetuximab during breastfeeding. Because cetuximab is a large protein molecule with a molecular weight of 145,782 Da, the amount in milk is likely to be very low.[1] It is also likely to be partially destroyed in the infant's gastrointestinal tract and absorption by the infant is probably minimal.[2] Until more data become available, cetuximab should be used with caution during breastfeeding, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. The manufacturer recommends that breastfeeding be discontinued during cetuximab therapy and for 2 months after the last dose.

Effects on the breastfed infant

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Effects on milk supply

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Levels in milk

Maternal Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Cetuximab is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.

Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Cetuximab” (LM1015). LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.