BREAST CANCER AND PREGNANCY

TYPES

• Angiosarcoma
• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
• Inflammatory breast cancer
• Invasive lobular carcinoma
• Male breast cancer
• Paget’s disease of the breast
• Recurrent breast cancer

SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:

• A breast mass or lump that feels different from its surrounding tissue
• Change in the size, shape or appearance of the breast
• Changes to the skin over the breast, for instance, dimpling
• Inversion of the areola or nipple
• Stripping, scaling, crusting or chipping of the pigmented region of the skin including the nippleor breast skin
• Redness or pitting of theskin over your breast, similar to the skin of an orange

DIAGNOSIS

Tests and strategies used to diagnose breast cancer include:

Breast exam: Your doctor will check both of your breasts and lymph nodes in your armpits, feeling for any growths or lumps.

Breast ultrasound: Ultrasound uses sound waves to asses structures within the breast and other parts of the body.

Biopsy: A biopsy is the best way to diagnose breast cancer. Your doctor uses a needle guided by X-rays or another imaging test to remove some tissue from the suspicious zone. The sample is then sent to the lab for examination.

TREATMENT

If you are pregnant and have been diagnosed to have breast cancer, your treatment options will depend upon:

• The size of the tumor
• Where the tumor is found
• If the cancer has spread and if it has, how far
• How far along you are in the pregnancy
• Your general health
• Your own choices

Surgery is safe when you are pregnant. Some chemo-therapies are safe when given in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Discuss with your doctor about your treatment choices.