Cancer is a term used to describe over one hundred diseases, which are all characterized by abnormal cell division and uncontrolled growth of cells. These masses, called tumors, can overtake and destroy the normal tissues that surround them.
The disease can spread quickly through the body's bloodstream or lymph node system and start new cancers in other parts of the body. The most common form of cancer during pregnancy is breast cancer, but it rarely found in fertile women.
During pregnancy your breasts will change: they will increase in size, tenderness and lumpiness. If you find a lump in your breast while you are pregnant you need to tell your doctor right away. It will be difficult for you, or your doctor, to diagnose because of the changes to your breasts. A lump does not mean you have breast cancer, but if you have a lump it should be thoroughly checked out.
After your doctor examines you, a mammogram or ultrasound may be recommended to confirm the diagnosis. If a mammogram is performed be sure to tell the operator that you are pregnant so that your abdomen can be covered with a lead shield.
The risk of contracting cancer during pregnancy is extremely rare: only one or two percent (1 or 2 in 100) breast cancer patients are diagnosed with the disease during pregnancy. About one quarter of women who acquire breast cancer while they are still fertile develop the disease within one year of their pregnancy. Women over the age of thirty five should consider a mammogram prior to conceiving and a breast exam during the first or second prenatal visit.
No results found. Click here for amazon.com
There are a couple of reasons researchers suggest some cancers might be affected by pregnancy. During pregnancy the increase in hormonesA complex chemical substance created in a part or organ of the body. When released it initiates or regulates activity in an organ or group of cells in another part of the body.
Hormones secreted by endocrine glands are transported through the bloodstream to their target organ. The amount of hormone secreted is regulated either by other hormones, by neurotransmitters, or simply when an excess of the organ's activity indicates a need to reduce the amount of the hormone produced.
Other hormones are produced locally by the organs themselves and are common in the digestive tract.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. directly influence organs and tissues in which certain cancers develop. Together with the increase in blood volume and flow and changes to the lymphatic system the cancers are spread to other parts of the body.
If you have a history of breast cancer, and have recently conceived, you will have already consulted with your breast surgeon, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist about the risk of pregnancy. Most pregnancies progress normally once the breast cancer is in remission, and once alerted to your condition your doctor or obstetrician will exercise individualized care and attention during your prenatal visits. It is important to continue performing breast self examination during pregnancy even if you have had a mastectomy. If you plan to breastfeed your baby you will need to discuss your continuing treatment after delivery.
It is difficult to discover you have cancer at any time, but it can be especially hard to accept when you are pregnant. While it can cause tremendous anxiety and stress you can rest assured that it is very possible to have a full pregnancy and healthy child despite the presence of breast cancer.
Like every pregnancy, the presence of cancer and the way it is controlled is unique and will vary because of your individual choices. The options, method and timing of the treatment is dependent on the stage of the cancer, the stage of the pregnancy, and the choices you feel comfortable making about your future and that of your baby.
Some women, for whom the cancer is discovered during the very early stages of pregnancy, may decide that the most suitable option is a termination of the pregnancy followed by immediate treatment of the cancer. For others, who discover the cancer in the later stages, completing the pregnancy to term is the only acceptable option and treatment may begin after delivery. Whatever your situation, you will need to consult with a breast surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist and obstetrician. Many of the choices you make are very individualized and you will need the benefit of their specialist advice and their knowledge of your medical history.
No results found. Click here for amazon.com
There are some specific concerns you should consider when talking to a specialist. You will need to know whether the pregnancy needs to be terminated for treatment to begin. If not, the medications used to control the cancer should not harm the baby. You will need to make sure that the cancer or method of treatment used to treat the cancer will not affect or be passed to the baby. And finally it is important to know whether the treatment can wait until the delivery of the baby.
Breast cancer, although rare, is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in pregnancy. Gynecologic cancers (such as those of the cervix, uterus and ovaries) are the next most frequently diagnosed. After that come leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma and bone tumors, in that order.
There is a rare form of breast cancer called Paget's disease. Symptoms of Paget's disease include a rash or dryness around one nipple, and in rare instances around both. If you are concerned about any unusual rashes around your nipples you should consult your doctor immediately.
Cervical cancer is very rare; present in only 0.01% (1 in 10,000) pregnancies. Of the women who have cancer of the cervix, 1% (1 in 100) is pregnant when it is diagnosed. Fortunately early diagnosis and treatment means that this cancer is often cured. While some malignancies of the vulvaThe external genitalia, consisting in women of the mons veneris, the labia majora, the labia minora, the vestibule of the vagina, the urinary meatus and the vestibular glands. In men it consists of the penis, scrotum and the testes.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. have been reported this condition is extremely rare.
Bone tumors during pregnancy are very uncommon. Endochondromas and benign exostosis are both types of non-cancerous bone tumors that affect the pelvis. If one of these rare cancers is diagnosed you should consult your doctor about needing a cesarean section.
Leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. During pregnancy it may result in a higher rate of premature labor and increased bleeding after delivery. Leukemia is usually treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. You should consult your doctor about your condition if you have leukemia during pregnancy.
Melanoma is a cancer of the skin cells that produce pigment (melanin). Malignant melanomas can spread through the body and during pregnancy may reach the placentaThe placenta is a large disk shaped membrane responsible for providing nourishment to the fetus during pregnancy. It consists of three parts, the fetal part made up from the chorion membrane surrounding the fetus, the maternal part, formed from the decidua basalis layer of the uterine lining, and the intervillous space between the two plates. It is connected to the fetus by the umbilical cord and consists of tissue from both the mother and the embryo.
Its function is complex. It has been described as a simple organ that combines the functions of a kidney-dialysis machine, heart and lung machine and intravenous drip. It consists of enormous numbers of blood vessel branches that permit the exchange of nutrition and oxygen, from the mother's bloodstream to the fetus and the removal of wastes to the mother to be excreted. The placenta's remarkable quality is that it does so without the blood of the mother mixing with that of the baby.
It also is responsible for the production of vital hormones including, estrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin. After birth, the placenta is delivered, and is sometimes referred to as the afterbirth.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. or the fetus. Symptoms of a preexisting melanoma may worsen during pregnancy.
No results found. Click here for amazon.com
Hodgkin's disease is a form of cancer, which affects the lymph nodes. It most frequently affects young people. The incidence of Hodgkin's disease during pregnancy is about 0.016% (1 in 6000). Pregnancy does not seem to cause progression of Hodgkin's disease and the cancer can now be controlled with radiation and chemotherapy for long periods.
Breast cancer should not be a limitation to mothers who would like to breastfeed their baby. There is no risk of the disease being transmitted through the breast milk, which is as wholesome as it is from a healthy breast.
Breastfeeding is not recommended for women who are currently experiencing treatment for their breast cancer. You should bottle feed your baby if you are having chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or radiation therapy.
The treatment you receive for cancer during pregnancy will vary depending on your condition. Options range from surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of treatments best designed to treat the cancer depending on both its stage of progression and the development of your baby.
If breast cancer is detected during pregnancy it is usually treated surgically using a modified radical mastectomy. Lumps found in the breasts can often be drained using a procedure called aspiration, but if this is not possible, a biopsy to remove the lump will be performed. Your doctor will have to determine the best treatment in your case.
If you are still early in your pregnancy, radiation therapy will be avoided since it may be the cause of congenital malformationsAny abnormality which is present at birth. Also called birth defects, they can arise from genetic inheritance or acquired during gestation through disease or drugs.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions.. During late pregnancy too, radiation therapy may result in intrauterine growth retardation and possibly cancer in the newborn. Chemotherapy is often chosen for use during early pregnancy since the risk of congenital abnormalities is low: about ten percent (1 in 10), but it will be avoided during the late stages of pregnancy since it can cause intrauterine growth retardation. All treatments have risks and you can suffer from side effects, so your doctor may decide that the safest route during your pregnancy is to perform the initial surgery, and provide follow up treatments after the deliver of the baby.
No results found. Click here for amazon.com
