For the third trimester of pregnancy, lumpectomy with or without axillary lymph node dissection can be performed and radiation therapy delayed until after delivery. In general, most would advise modified radical mastectomy to avoid the problems of radiation therapy during pregnancy, including the risk to the fetus. Alternatively, therapy can be postponed which increases risk to the mother. In some instances, when cancer is diagnosed near term, delivery may be accomplished prior to surgery. In rare cases, a locally aggressive malignancy diagnosed very early in pregnancy and requiring radiation therapy may justify therapeutic abortion.
All chemotherapeutic agents are potentially teratogenic.
The most experience in such matters comes from studies involved drugs used in treating leukemia. Little is known about drugs used for treating breast cancer. Before administering chemotherapy to such patients, however, they must be willing to accept the risks of premature delivery as a consequence of treatment. Breast cancer was thought to be a particularly virulent disease, but much of the poor prognosis seems to be due to advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. The information provided through OncoLink should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease.