Breast Cancer and Pregnancy

Basics

Basics

Basics

Description

Description

Description

Breast cancer in pregnancy is defined as breast cancer that is diagnosed during pregnancy, during lactation, and up to 12 months postpartum.

Epidemiology

Epidemiology

Epidemiology

Incidence

  • Gestational breast cancer is one of the most common pregnancy-associated malignancies as well as cervical cancer.
  • Breast cancer in pregnancy has an incidence of approximately 0.3/1,000 deliveries (1).

Etiology and Pathophysiology

Etiology and Pathophysiology

Etiology and Pathophysiology

Genetics

  • BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers have greatly increased risk of breast cancer overall and may be more likely to develop breast cancer during pregnancy.
  • Multiparity appears protective in BRCA1 carriers but is associated with increased risk in BRCA2 carriers.
  • Other significant mutations include p53 (Li-Fraumeni syndrome) and PTEN (Cowden syndrome).

Risk Factors

Risk Factors

Risk Factors

  • Age
    • Increased risk with advanced age
    • First pregnancy after age 35 years increases risk.
  • Early menarche and late menopause
  • Family history
    • Breast cancer in first-degree relatives
    • First-degree relatives with premenopausal breast cancer further increase risk.
  • Nulliparity
  • Exposure to radiation
  • Social
    • Increased consumption of alcohol
    • Obesity
    • Sedentary lifestyle (2)

General Prevention

General Prevention

General Prevention

  • Reduce the risk of breast cancer by maintaining a healthy weight.
  • The benefits with moderate exercise such as brisk walking are seen at all age groups including postmenopausal women.

Commonly Associated Conditions

Commonly Associated Conditions

Commonly Associated Conditions

  • Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at 1.5 times greater risk of breast cancer as compared with women who do not have GDM.
  • Lower risk of breast cancer is observed in women who have pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia.

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.

© 2000–2025 Unbound Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved