Managing Breast Cancer During Pregnancy

Abstract

Breast cancer during pregnancy (BCP) is a rare disease with increasing incidence. Patients with BCP should be treated as closely as possible according to guidelines for non-pregnant young breast cancer patients. Therefore, the majority of BCP patients will be considered for treatment during the pregnancy. The treatment should be planned within a multidisciplinary team after careful risk/benefit assessment for mother and child. Most treatments, including sentinel node biopsy and systemic therapy with taxanes, platinum agents, or dose-dense treatment, can be safely administered during pregnancy. Chemotherapy is contraindicated during the first trimester due to a higher risk of foetal malformations, but is feasible in later stages of the pregnancy. Other treatments such as radiation therapy or anti-HER2 treatment are in general not indicated during pregnancy, but might be considered in some instances. A premature delivery should be avoided whenever possible.