When a pregnant woman grows breast cancer, it is frequently detected at a later stage than it is in women who are not pregnant. This is since as long as pregnancy, hormone alterations lead to a woman’s breasts to broaden and become more tender and lumpy. This could make it harder for you or your doctor to discover a lump in your breasts. Mammograms are harder as well for doctors to read as long as pregnancy since the breasts becomes denser. The early alterations caused by cancer can be mistaken for or hidden by the normal alterations that occur with pregnancy as well.

Even as long as pregnancy, early detection is a significant element of breast health. Converse with your doctor or nurse concerning breast exams and the best time for your next mammogram — particularly if you are age 40 or older, or if you or your doctor observes an alteration in how your breasts appear or feel. As always, if you discover any lump or alteration in your breasts, tell your doctor or nurse immediately.

Pregnancy-Related Factors that Increase Breast Cancer Risk. A number of factors connected with pregnancy are recognized to add to a woman’s possibilities of developing breast cancer:

- After a woman gives birth, her risk of the disease is momentarily increased. This momentary upsurge lasts simply for a few years.

- A woman who in pregnancy took DES (diethylstilbesterol), a synthetic form of estrogen that was utilized between the early 1940s and 1971, has a faintly higher risk of developing breast cancer.

A number of treatments for breast cancer, like certain chemo drugs, might have an effect on a woman’s fertility. Still, lots of women are able to become pregnant after treatment. Women concerned in relation to their fertility ought to converse to their doctors regarding this prior to beginning treatment.

All women who have suffered breast cancer and are considering having children ought to converse with their doctors concerning their risk of cancer coming back. In numerous cases, counseling could assist women sort through the options that be associated with surviving breast cancer and planning a pregnancy.

The threat of breast cancer is upsetting for anyone, particularly during pregnancy, but it is not uncommon. Pregnant women and physicians should become more aware of the risk associated with cancer. The obstetricians are usually more focused on the health of the unborn baby than the mother’s possible illness but should be more aware of the risk of breast cancer. Women should examine their breasts regularly and tell their doctor about any changes they discover. Not only is diagnosis often delayed, but there is a high rate of false-negative results of a mammography due to the increased density of the breast during pregnancy. Ultrasonogaphy is the best way to check for cancerous lumps in pregnant and lactating women. Many studies have shown that the tumors in pregnant women are larger and are more likely to spread.

Pregnant women should be encouraged to know that treatment is as successful and safe as in non-pregnant women. Surgery is the best route although there is a small risk of premature labor. Radiation therapy is not offered during pregnancy but patients can be safely treated with certain forms of chemotherapy from three months onwards. This may be continued after the baby is born, although mothers should not breast feed their babies while they are having chemotherapy. Treatments are planned around the expected delivery date and are administered as close to term as possible, Through the process, oncologists communicate regularly with a woman’s obstetrician.

Overall survival of pregnant women with breast cancer may be worse than in non pregnant women at all stages however, this may be due primarily to delayed diagnoses. Termination of pregnancy has not been shown to have any beneficial effect on breast cancer outcome and is not usually considered as a therapeutic option. Termination of pregnancy, however, may be considered, based on the age of the fetus, and if maternal treatment options, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, are significantly limited by the continuation of the pregnancy.