Cancer during pregnancy is rare, but survival rates are generally over 75%. With more accessible access to fertility treatments, more cancer survivors are now considering pregnancy, especially with greater access to fertility treatments. Prenatal screening refers to the most common malignancies relevant to pregnancy, including thyroid, melanoma, breast, uterine, leukemia, lymphoma, ovarian, and colon cancers. Multidisciplinary management is required when malignancy is diagnosed during pregnancy or pregnancies in cancer survivors, chemo- and radiotherapy, and possible effects on fetal development and long-term outcomes, pregnancy outcomes, and prognosis are discussed. When malignancy is diagnosed during pregnancy or pregnancies in cancer survivors, chemo- and radiotherapy, and possible effects on fetal development and long-term outcomes, pregnancy prognosis, and outcomes, then multidisciplinary management is required.
After prenatal screening cancer diagnosis during pregnancy might need to make some difficult treatment decisions and whether to continue with your pregnancy.
Identification of malignancy during pregnancy
Some women have no symptoms, but they are diagnosed with reproductive organ cancer when their doctors perform prenatal screening. In early pregnancy, this includes screening for breast and cervical cancer during routine visits. In such cases, the diagnosis may come as a shock, and you may need some time to come to terms with it. Other women may visit their doctor with symptoms that may be due to cancer. If you notice any unusual symptoms, such as an unexpected vaginal discharge or bleeding, lump in your breast, or persistent pain in your pelvis, see your doctor or obstetrician to get the symptoms checked out.
When evaluating prenatal screening strategies it is important to consider the characteristics of the disease, the characteristics of the screening test used, and the characteristics of the population being screened.
If you are pregnant and diagnosed with cancer then what will be your options?
If you are pregnant and have cancer, your options will depend on the type of cancer, how far it has spread, and the stage of your pregnancy. In some cases, during pregnancy, cancer can be treated with minimal risk to your baby.
In other cases, it may be safer to delay treatment until after your baby is born; although you may need more frequent check-ups by your doctor.
In some situations, you may need treatment that would be unsafe for your pregnancy. In this case, you get maybe advice from your doctor to consider termination.
Treatment
It can be usually treated in at least one of 3 ways-
1. Surgery
2. Radiotherapy
3. Chemotherapy
During pregnancy, surgery for cancer can often be performed safely. Radiotherapy is usually not a preferred option during pregnancy as it uses X-rays to kill cancer cells, and can be particularly dangerous to an unborn baby. However, it can be safe right after your baby is born. Chemotherapy uses strong drugs to kill cancer cells and can sometimes be used safely after the first trimester.
In most cases, your cancer (like a malignant tumor or malignant cancer) will be treated differently and decisions about your treatment will only be made by a team of doctors, including your obstetrician and oncologists (or cancer doctors).
Maternal malignancy and its treatment can cause other changes in your body and it also can affect your baby’s health and development. The exact changes you experience will depend on your general health and the type of cancer you have but may include immune function and poor nutrition. Anxiety and stress, which are very common after receiving a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy, can also affect you and your baby’s well-being. So, following your doctor’s advice, seeking help and support when you need it, and importantly, taking care of yourself, can minimize the impact of your cancer and its treatment on your baby. If you notice an irregularity during pregnancy, don’t waste time and search for a female gynecologist near me and make an appointment.