Managing breast cancer diagnosed in first trimester pregnancy: a case report

ABSTRACT

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in pregnant women, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 3000 pregnancies. Unfortunately, this will sometimes occur during the first trimester of pregnancy and this situation warrants discussion of management options with regard to the mother and child, especially with the current trend of deferring child bearing to a later age.</p><p><b>CLINICAL PICTURE</b>We present a 34-year-old primigravida who had a breast lump prior to confirmation of her pregnancy and received her diagnosis of invasive breast cancer at 7 weeks' amenorrhoea. The oncologic management options of this pregnant patient with breast cancer are discussed.</p><p><b>TREATMENT</b>The patient eventually opted to undergo wide excision of the breast cancer with sentinel lymph node biopsy and possible axillary clearance together with termination of her pregnancy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patient successfully underwent surgery for her breast cancer and was subsequently treated with adjuvant therapy as per normal protocol for a non-pregnant patient.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The management of breast cancer and pregnancy occurring concurrently is a complex problem fraught with many dilemmas for both the medical team, the patient and her family. The option chosen must involve a multidisciplinary team and have full informed consent of the patient.</p>