Breast Cancer And Pregnancy

Breast Cancer And Pregnancy

Author: Will Hanke

Although it is rare for breast cancer to strike younger women,
the fact remains that all women are at risk. And for those of
childbearing age, the first sign and symptoms of breast cancer
leading to a diagnosis can not only be upsetting and
unexpected, but complicated as well.
Developing breast cancer at a younger age-in a woman’s 40s,
30s, even 20s-will mean making important and difficult
decisions about one’s life and future perhaps much sooner than
originally expected.
One concern is developing breast cancer during pregnancy, which
although rare, can still occur. In this case, the treatment
chosen will not only affect the patient and her body, but the
growing baby inside her as well. It will depend on what stage
of pregnancy she is in (first, second or third trimester) and
what stage her cancer is in-such as whether or not it’s
advanced.
Most pregnant women can have treatment for their breast cancer
without affecting the baby. But some might be advised by their
obstetrician or health-care practitioner-or even decide
themselves-to terminate the pregnancy, more so if the pregnancy
is in its earlier stages, in order to receive certain treatments
that would be too risky otherwise. But it is essential to
remember that it is a woman’s own decision-it is not medically
necessary to terminate a pregnancy if the expectant mother is
diagnosed with breast cancer. All it does is limit treatment
options. Breast cancer itself will not affect the fetus-only
certain tests and treatments will.
Generally speaking, tamoxifen, chemotherapy, radiation, and
other drug-related therapies are avoided if the woman is
pregnant because of their associated risks with birth defects.
Tamoxifen, especially, is considered very unsafe because it is
a hormonal therapy and is never recommended if the woman is
pregnant or planning on conceiving.
Surgery-either a lumpectomy or mastectomy-is the most common
and preferred method of treatment for breast cancer in pregnant
women.
Another concern is whether or not breast cancer survivors can
or should go on to have children after treatment and recovery.
It’s a very controversial issue with firm advocates on both
sides of the debate.
There are two main questions here, for both the medical and
health community and breast cancer survivors wanting their own
children: 1) Do certain breast cancer treatments affect
fertility?; and 2) Is it actually considered safe to conceive
and carry a baby to term following breast cancer and breast
cancer treatments?
As far as fertility goes, there is no definite answer here. For
chemotherapy, it depends on the age and what specific drug was
used-some affect fertility more than others. And taking
tamoxifen after chemotherapy to prevent recurrence is not
recommended if the woman desires to become pregnant right away.
Although tamoxifen is sometimes used as a fertility treatment,
there is evidence to suggest that it damages developing
embryos, and therefore is not considered safe to use.
Many doctors caution these women to wait several years to
ensure receiving the best breast cancer treatment possible and
to go past the point of the biggest threat of breast cancer
recurrence. But some women decide to go ahead and have babies
anyway, since it’s so important to them.

About The Author: Make sure you’re protected from the risks and
symptoms of breast cancer by visiting http://8008135.info - The
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