Pregnancy-associated breast cancer

Definition

• Breast cancer newly diagnosed during pregnancy, within a year of giving birth or at any time during lactation.

Occurrence & epidemiology

Epidemiology

• Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is relatively rare (about 1 in 3,000 pregnancies) but is one of the most common cancers in pregnancy; it most often affects women aged 32 to 38 years.
• In a meta-analysis it was independently associated with poorer survival, particularly when diagnosed shortly after birth.

Clinical features

• Physiological changes of pregnancy, with larger, more tender and lumpy-feeling breasts, make small masses difficult to find.
• Increased breast density, due to more glandular and less fatty tissue, further hampers mammography.
• Most affected women find the lump themselves, and the cancer is often detected at a later stage.

Diagnosis

• The first test for a suspicious mass is ultrasound, which uses no X-rays; mammography is possible with low X-ray exposure and a lead shield over the abdomen.
• Biopsies are also possible in pregnancy; ultrasound and MRI with limited use of contrast are suitable for staging.

Keep learning in the app

Further reading (selection)

1. National Cancer Institute: Breast Cancer During Pregnancy

Cross-references