[A Case Report of Surgery and Chemotherapy for a Patient with Rapidly Progressing Breast Cancer during Pregnancy]

Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 2018 May;45(5):847-850.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

A 33-year-old woman became aware of a right breast mass at her 28th week of pregnancy. From the biopsy results, we diagnosed her with right breast cancer. At her 33rd week of pregnancy, she underwent modified radical mastectomy (pT2N3aM0, Stage III C, ER-negative, PR-negative, HER2-positive), and she elected to receive adjuvant therapy after the surgery during her pregnancy. She received the first course of EC (epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide) therapy on the 13th postoperative day (35 weeks of gestation) and gave a natural, vaginal delivery at 36 weeks and 5 days of gestation. On the 4th day after birth, the patient noticed a contralateral left breast mass and was diagnosed with left breast cancer, after core needle biopsy. She received 4 courses of EC therapy and is currently undergoing PTX plus HER (paclitaxel plus trastuzumab) therapy. Regarding chemotherapy during pregnancy, we recommend that there is no need to perform artificial preterm birth, because chemotherapy has little influence on children after their second-trimester. After the second-trimester, chemotherapy can be safely performed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Biopsy
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / surgery
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / surgery
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Disease Progression
  • Epirubicin / administration & dosage
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mastectomy, Radical
  • Paclitaxel / administration & dosage
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / drug therapy*
  • Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / surgery

Substances

  • Epirubicin
  • Paclitaxel