Breast Cancer And Pregnancy
Cancer of breast may develop during pregnancy. It is more frequent in women under the age of 35, during or within one year of pregnancy; even axillary nodes are involved in some cases.
Cancer occurring during pregnancy is not more aggressive than other breast cancers but the diagnosis is often delayed because of enlarging breast. It is treated with the recommended approaches of management.
In the early pregnancy (first two trimesters) early stage cancer is treated with surgery. There is no evidence that pregnancy promotes breast cancer or that surgery harms the foetus.
Termination of pregnancy does not influence the results of treatment and depends entirely on the patient’s wishes or the stage of cancer. Pregnancy in later stages (third trimester) can be carried on till delivery. Treatment of cancer can follow subsequently. Immediate surgery can be considered if the tumour is large or locally advanced. Cancers detected and treated in the first half of pregnancy have shown better results in terms of survival. Radiotherapy is not recommended during pregnancy unless the cancer in third trimester is fast growing, while chemotherapy in early stages of pregnancy carries risk of foetal damage.
It is better to wait for about 2-3 years after the successful treatment of breast cancer before having a further pregnancy. That is enough time for recurrence, if any, to occur. But in case the family is complete, it is best avoided, because any recurrence affects the health of the family.
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