The Hospital for Sick Children, all rights reserved. Open biopsy revealed ductal carcinoma. Radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node biopsy showed three out of 10 nodes positive. The benefits of the diagnostic workup and use of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery have to be weighed carefully against their risk to the unborn baby.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in their reproductive years.
The most common malignancies during pregnancy are breast, cervix, lymphoma, melanoma, ovary, thyroid, leukemia, and colon. Because of the current trend to delay childbearing, the incidence of these malignancies during pregnancy is likely to increase. The relatively rare occurrence of cancer during pregnancy precludes conducting large, prospective studies to examine diagnostic, management, and outcome issues. The literature on cancer during pregnancy is largely composed of case reports and small, uncontrolled studies. We need evidence-based information on cancer during pregnancy because the condition creates immense pressure on pregnant patients, their families, and their physicians.