open access
Pregnancy-associated breast cancer as a screening and diagnostic challenge: a case report
open access
Abstract
Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is the second most common malignancy of pregnancy, affecting 1 in 3000 women. Due to increased size and density of the breast tissue during pregnancy and lactation, diagnosis and treatment are commonly delayed. A 37-year old woman, gravida 1 para 0, at 27th weeks of gestation presents with two tumors of approximately 2 cm in the right breast with ipsilateral lymph node involvement on ultrasonography. Triple-negative, poorly differentiated ductal carcinoma was identified by core biopsy and immunohistochemistry. The diagnosis of PABC was made, the tumor's clinical stage was cT2, N1, Mx. She underwent a total mastectomy with axillary node dissection on the right side and was started on adjuvant therapy with Paclitaxel. Our report highlights the importance of proper breast oncology surveillance during pregnancy, using safe and inexpensive methods including ultrasonography and biopsy of suspicious masses, to avoid cancer development and progression.
Abstract
Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is the second most common malignancy of pregnancy, affecting 1 in 3000 women. Due to increased size and density of the breast tissue during pregnancy and lactation, diagnosis and treatment are commonly delayed. A 37-year old woman, gravida 1 para 0, at 27th weeks of gestation presents with two tumors of approximately 2 cm in the right breast with ipsilateral lymph node involvement on ultrasonography. Triple-negative, poorly differentiated ductal carcinoma was identified by core biopsy and immunohistochemistry. The diagnosis of PABC was made, the tumor's clinical stage was cT2, N1, Mx. She underwent a total mastectomy with axillary node dissection on the right side and was started on adjuvant therapy with Paclitaxel. Our report highlights the importance of proper breast oncology surveillance during pregnancy, using safe and inexpensive methods including ultrasonography and biopsy of suspicious masses, to avoid cancer development and progression.
Keywords
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; pregnancy; diagnosis
About this articleTitle
Pregnancy-associated breast cancer as a screening and diagnostic challenge: a case report
Journal
Nowotwory. Journal of Oncology
Issue
Article type
Case report
Published online
2021-02-10
DOI
10.5603/NJO.a2021.0017
Keywords
Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms
pregnancy
diagnosis
Authors
Anastasia Kalantarova
Nicole Josephine Zembol
Joanna Kufel-Grabowska