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Review
. 2020 Dec 3;12(12):3616.
doi: 10.3390/cancers12123616.

Update on the Management of Breast Cancer during Pregnancy

Francesca Poggio  1 , Marco Tagliamento  2   3 , Chiara Pirrone  2   3 , Davide Soldato  2   3 , Benedetta Conte  2   3 , Chiara Molinelli  2   3 , Maurizio Cosso  4 , Piero Fregatti  5   6 , Lucia Del Mastro  1   3 , Matteo Lambertini  3   7
Affiliations
Review

Update on the Management of Breast Cancer during Pregnancy

Francesca Poggio et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

The diagnosis of breast cancer during pregnancy represents a challenging situation for the patient, her caregivers and physicians. Pregnancy adds complexity to oncological treatment planning, as many therapies can be potentially dangerous to the fetus. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach is needed to offer a proper care for obtaining the best possible outcomes for the mother and the future child. Breast surgery is feasible throughout the pregnancy while radiotherapy should be postponed after delivery. Administration of chemotherapy is considered safe and can be given during the second and third trimesters, while it is contraindicated in the first trimester due to the high risk of fetal malformations. Endocrine therapy and targeted agents are not recommended during the whole pregnancy period; however, limited data are available on the use of the majority of new anticancer drugs in this context. The aim of the current review is to provide an update on the current state of art about the management of women diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy.

Keywords: breast cancer; chemotherapy; endocrine therapy; immunotherapy; pregnancy; pregnancy during breast cancer; radiotherapy; surgery; targeted therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Francesca Poggio: Consulting or Advisory Role: Merck Sharp and Dohme. Speakers’ Bureau: Eli Lilly, Novartis. Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Eli Lilly, Takeda. Marco Tagliamento: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Takeda. Other Relationship: Novartis, Amgen. Lucia Del Mastro: Consulting or Advisory Role: Roche, Novartis, MSD, Pfizer, Ipsen, AstraZeneca, Genomic Health, Eli Lilly. Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Roche, Pfizer, Celgene. Matteo Lambertini: Consulting or Advisory Role: Roche, Novartis. Speakers’ Bureau: Theramex, Takeda, Roche, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer. No other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of management’s recommendations according to gestational age or post-partum period.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overview of the use of anticancer treatments for breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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