Can pregnant women get breast cancer?

Will pregnant women get breast cancer? While nurturing the next generation of life, changes in the endocrine environment often make the risk of breast cancer reach the highest level during pregnancy and after childbirth. So, once such an unfortunate event occurs, does it mean that the life that has just begun should be ended in exchange for the mother's survival?

For breast cancer patients in the first three months of pregnancy, the guidelines recommend that doctors and patients need to consider terminating the pregnancy. If the patient insists on continuing the pregnancy, a mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection are required. Then, adjuvant chemotherapy is performed in the third month of the second trimester of pregnancy. After delivery, radiotherapy and endocrine therapy are performed.

If breast cancer is found in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, the breast should be removed or breast-conserving surgery should be performed, and lymph node dissection should be performed at the same time. Chemotherapy can be started immediately after surgery. If breast-conserving surgery is chosen, radiotherapy and endocrine therapy should be considered after delivery.

For patients with early breast cancer found in the last three months of pregnancy, the treatment is relatively simple. After immediate surgery and lymph node dissection, radiotherapy and endocrine therapy are performed after delivery.

Chemotherapy cannot be used in the first three months of pregnancy, and radiotherapy should not be performed during the entire pregnancy. This principle is the basis of the guidelines. During pregnancy, due to the stimulation of estrogen, the breasts generally proliferate and swell. At this time, many breast lumps and lactation are considered normal reactions, which can easily delay the disease. Therefore, a thorough breast examination must be performed during the first obstetric examination. Fortunately, breast examination using ultrasound during pregnancy is actually very safe for the majority of pregnant women.