Breast Cancer and Pregnancy.

Historically, both breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy and that diagnosed in the 1 st year postpartum have been considered to be pregnancy-associated. It has been estimated from 32 case series over several decades that 0.2-3.8% of breast cancers occur during pregnancy [1]. This incidence may rise as women delay their pregnancies until later in life and as the number of premenopausal women with breast cancer continues to grow [2, 3]. The management of pregnant patients with breast cancer is complex, involving a balance between optimizing maternal treatment to maximize the chances of survival, whilst minimizing the risks to the fetus. However, the rarity of the condition means that few breast surgeons or oncologists will develop an expertise in this area, a fact that is compounded by lack of clinical trial evidence. Nonetheless, over the years a considerable experience of managing pregnancy-associated breast cancer has accumulated and is presented in this chapter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]