Breast cancer during pregnancy is more difficult to diagnose. During pregnancy, hormonal changes cause changes in breast tissue, making diagnosis more challenging. During pregnancy, hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin increase. With the increase in these hormones, the breast becomes larger, more sensitive, and irregular. The same effect is observed in breastfeeding women.
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Breast Cancer Diagnosis During Pregnancy
Breast cancer diagnosis during pregnancy may occur 5 to 15 months after the onset of symptoms. The symptoms are often unclear, which leads to a delayed diagnosis. Therefore, pregnant women with breast cancer may show more spread of the disease compared to non-pregnant women. If a lump is suspected in the breast during pregnancy, it is essential to immediately consult a general surgeon. It is a matter of life and death.
Breast Cancer Treatment During Pregnancy
Breast cancer treatment during pregnancy depends on the size of the cancerous tissue, the stage of the cancer, and its location. However, there is a challenge in pregnancy as treatment planning becomes difficult due to the baby. Treatment differs from non-pregnant individuals. Hormone therapy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy cannot be applied. However, if the pregnant individual is diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, chemotherapy is necessary. In such cases, the pregnancy must be terminated.
Surgical removal of the cancerous tissue does not pose a risk to the pregnancy. Typically, radiotherapy is applied after surgery. However, since radiotherapy during pregnancy can harm the baby, it is not applied to pregnant individuals.
Does Breast Cancer During Pregnancy Harm the Baby?
There is no risk of cancer cells passing from the mother to the baby. However, when diagnosing cancer in a pregnant individual, mammography, tomography, or PET methods should not be used as these methods involve radiation that can harm the baby. Instead, non-radiation methods like ultrasound and MRI should be used. In cases of radiological or clinical suspicion, a biopsy can be performed on the lump. This biopsy does not harm the pregnancy. However, once treatment begins, radiotherapy and chemotherapy can harm the baby, so they are not applied.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer During Pregnancy
The frequency of breast cancer during pregnancy varies from 1 in 3000 to 1 in 10,000 women. The most common symptom of breast cancer in pregnant women is the detection of a lump in the breast. Sometimes, nipple discharge is observed. In breastfeeding women, redness and increased warmth in the breast may occur, which is known as mastitis. People often confuse this with breast inflammation and visit the doctor. Recent studies have shown that the life expectancy for breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy is the same as for non-pregnant women.
Pregnancy After Breast Cancer
Pregnancy after breast cancer is possible. A woman who has been treated for and survived breast cancer is likely to have a premature birth. The health of the children is at the same level as that of children born to mothers who have not had cancer. However, babies may have a lower weight compared to the general population. It is not recommended to get pregnant during or immediately after cancer treatment. It is advised to wait at least 2 years after overcoming cancer before becoming pregnant. The longer the period between treatment and pregnancy, the better the health of the baby. If pregnancy occurs soon after overcoming cancer, there is a high risk of relapse, which can be dangerous for both the mother and the baby.
Birth After Breast Cancer
After breast cancer birth, a person can easily breastfeed their baby. However, if the individual has undergone surgery for breast cancer and had the milk ducts and glands removed, breastfeeding is not possible. If the milk ducts and glands have not been removed, even if the breast is removed, breastfeeding can still be achieved by reconstructing the breast. Women who have had cancer and given birth after a certain period of time will have the same conditions as women who have never had cancer.
