Breast cancer during pregnancy: a mini-review.

Background: As modern women delay childbearing, pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) becomes a more frequent problem faced by oncologists, gynecologists, and obstetricians alike. However, no evidence exists concerning the management of this condition.
Methods: We summarized the current literature regarding epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of PABC. Data were collected by searching PubMed and Medline for the period from 1950 to 2007.
Results: There are no randomized controlled trials regarding PABC management. Current evidence suggests that diagnosis may be carried out with limitations regarding staging; surgical treatment may be performed as for the non-pregnant women. Radiotherapy and endocrine therapy are contraindicated during pregnancy, while chemotherapy is allowed after the first trimester. Prognosis is considered poor. Subsequent pregnancy is allowed only 2 years after completing treatment.
Conclusions: Due to lack of prospective randomized controlled clinical studies, both ongoing studies and future evidence are expected to solve problems related to breast cancer management during pregnancy.