Pregnancy-associated breast cancer: An institutional experience

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy in pregnant women. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy and the first postpartum year. PABC is associated with difficulty in detection, diagnosis, and definitive management. Management of these patients is centered on the wellbeing of both the fetus and the mother. We report the epidemiology, pathology, treatment, and outcome of patients with PABC managed at our institution. Patients and Methods: Twelve patients were managed for PABC by the Division of General Surgery from January 2012 to December 2017. Their records were retrieved and relevant information extracted. Results: Nine patients were diagnosed during pregnancy and three while lactating. All patients presented with stage III and IV disease, with all stage IV patients dying within 6 months of presentation. None of the children born to patients who had neoadjuvant chemotherapy had any obvious congenital anomaly at birth. Conclusion: The late stage at presentation of our patients means that antenatal screening of pregnant women for PABC should be strongly encouraged. Treatment of PABC in our setting should be aggressive and similar to that of nonpregnant patients. The use of taxane-based chemotherapy may improve outcome.