Breast cancer is a serious illness that begins in the breasts and then spread throughout the body. Breast cancer is very serious and requires treatment. One problem can arise if you become pregnant. How can you treat cancer without harming your child?
These are some of the things you need to know about breast cancer treatment while you are pregnant.
Doctors Want to Protect Both of You
Yes, breast cancer treatment becomes more complicated when you are pregnant. This is because many cancer treatments take a major toll on the body and may expose you to radiation. Instead of simply taking care of you, your doctor now also needs to provide for your child's care.
The Doctor Considers Many Factors
Your doctor will consider many different factors before moving forward with a treatment plan. For example, the doctor will assess the type and size of the cancerous tumor as well as how far the cancer may have spread.
The doctor will also consider how far your pregnancy is and how healthy you and your fetus are. You will also have a say in your own treatment, and you will be asked your opinions.
Surgery May Be Viable
Surgery is a common option for pregnant women with breast cancer. Surgery can remove a tumor and cancer, but in some cases, the cancer will have spread to other places in the body. Generally, this is a safe procedure for pregnant women. The doctor may be able to remove just the tumor or the entire breast to eliminate cancer.
Chemotherapy Is Possible
You might also be able to undergo chemotherapy, which is safe for a fetus after a certain stage of development. The doctor will carefully assess how far along you are in pregnancy to provide the best care.
Most Treatment Options Are Not Available
This means that many other options are off the table. These include hormone therapy and radiation therapy. They can be harmful to a developing fetus. In some cases, the doctor may be able to determine that there is enough time for you to follow through with your pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby before you come in for one of these treatments.
Speak With an Oncologist
An oncologist can help you through the treatment options to find the one that helps you most. Your doctor will do everything possible to make sure that you have all the resources available to protect both you and your child. Contact an oncologist for more information regarding cancer treatment.
Share7 July 2021
My name is Katie Langer. For a long time, I was bed ridden and I felt like I had no control over my life. I simply went along with what was instructed by my doctor and I didn't ask questions. It wasn't that my doctor wasn't willing to work with me, but I preferred to simply not think about the illness I was suffering from. I didn't realize that some of the symptoms I was suffering from were side effects of my medication and were not normal. After communicating more with my doctor, I was able to alleviate my symptoms. Since then, I've taken an interest in patient-doctor relationships and how to improve them.
