Breast cancer during pregnancy: a literature review.

The article discusses a literature review of the diagnostic work up and treatment planning in breast cancer in pregnancy (BCP) and summarizes clinically relevant knowledge and guidelines on diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of patients diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant. It indicates the difficulty in interpreting physical findings and reluctance in utilizing mammography as causes of delays in recognizing breast cancer during pregnancy. It points to the safety of surgery on all three trimesters in treating cancer during pregnancy while chemotherapy is contraindicated due to increased incidence of congenital malformations in the first trimester. It concludes that oncological treatment modalities are possible during pregnancy as long as some considerations are respected.